X-Book

Abroad in Japan

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER

When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he was about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history?

Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that comes with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most mysterious and impenetrable cultures.

Spanning 10 years and 47 prefectures, Chris takes us from the chilling summit of Mount Fuji to the chaotic neon-lit streets of Tokyo. With blockbuster moments such as a terrifying North Korean missile incident, a Japanese national TV experience gone horribly wrong and a week spent with Japan's biggest movie star, Ken Watanabe, Abroad in Japan is an extraordinary and informative journey through the Land of the Rising Sun.

'Chris Broad explores Japan in all its quirky glory..Endlessly fascinating!'
Will Ferguson, author of Hokkaido Highway Blues

'Carves a unique path across Japan bringing him into contact with far too many cats, heartening renewal in Tohoku, and even pizza with Ken Watanabe.'
Iain Maloney, author of The Only Gaijin in the Village

'Fascinating, fact-packed and very funny..An excellent and enjoyable read for the Japan-curious. I loved it and learned a lot.'
Sam Baldwin, author of For Fukui's Sake: Two years in rural Japan

©2023 Chris Broad (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

A chortleworthy look at the land of karaoke, cat fanatics and chocolate-coated fries.
The Times
From wide-eyed exchange teacher to seasoned youtuber, Chris Broad explores Japan in all its quirky glory, surviving earthquakes, North Korean missile alerts, cat cafe allergies and Love Hotel evictions. Endlessly fascinating!
Will Ferguson, author of Hokkaido Highway Blues
Fascinating, fact-packed and very funny. Broad's wry humour, in-depth knowledge and adept storytelling make him an engaging guide to the bewildering Japanese experience. Accurately captures the excitement and dream-like disorientation of a foreigner discovering Japan. An excellent and enjoyable read for the Japan-curious. I loved it and learned a lot.
Sam Baldwin, author of For Fukui's Sake: Two years in rural Japan
Chris Broad's wry, self-deprecating memoir carves a unique path across Japan bringing him into contact with far too many cats, heartening renewal in Tohoku, and even pizza with Ken Watanabe. This is a thoroughly contemporary book, a memoir of life in Japan that couldn't have been written at any other point in history.
Iain Maloney, author of The Only Gaijin in the Village
This book seeks to unravel a culture that can often seem distant to visitors, charting his life over ten years and countless quirky anecdotes.
Wanderlust

User Reviews

Book 4.5
Narration 4.5
Author Chris Broad
Narrator Chris Broad
Duration 8 hours and 9 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781529911206
Format Audiobook
Publisher Transworld
Genre Autobiography: social media / internet celebrities, Cultural studies, Humour, Memoirs, Travel writing
Availability AU, GB, IE, US
Rating
4.5 (2 reviews)
Narration
4.5 (2 reviews)

More from the same

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.