It's with a heavy heart that I have to announce that very soon I'm gonna be leaving Japan Guard, unfortunately, and moving on to pastures new in Hong Kong eso as my way of saying goodbye.

I'm gonna answer a few questions as part of a debrief interview.

Let's get some background first for starters.

How long have you been in Japan?

And what first sparked your interest to visit?

Wow, I've been in Japan that for 7.5 years, first lived in or soccer and then moved to Goma on did honestly what sparked my interest to come to Japan.

I admittedly was not a Japan a file.

I didn't really know all that much about Mangga or I don't think that every in sushi before coming to Japan, I just wanted adventure.

Andi, uh, looking at Japan on duh realizing our safe and clean it waas.

But yet how How different?

England.

I mean, it was a good bet.

So I came and I thoroughly enjoyed my time.

It can you describe a typical day in the life of Sam Evans?

Wow.

Okay, so I I roll out of bed If I'm not traveling I will come into the office and I will go through the photos that I've been taken on the trips.

I'd like to drink a lot of coffee in the morning.

Not really a morning person.

Yeah, that's it.

I go for a run after work on de Enjoy the beautiful scenery that can be seen around sunset here in Goma.

There are a few comments on our videos.

Like Japan guide writers have the best job ever.

Has that been your experience?

Yeah, it's a dream job.

It really is.

It's There are definitely some things that people don't see.

There's a lot of hard work that goes into the videos, but generally, you know, I mean, what's not to love about it way get to travel around the country, eat amazing food, stay an amazing places and just have thes fantastic experiences.

And it's part of our work.

Of all the staff at japan guide dot com, you have been in the most videos.

Do people recognize you on the streets often here in Japan?

Ha ha ha.

I've never been recognized on.

I don't know whether that's a good finger, A bad thing.

I don't know how I feel about that?

Probably a bit of both.

But yet, as of yet, I have never been recognized.

I've been thinking, actually, have Next time I go down to Tokyo where a big Japan guide some Evans T shirt so people might start coming up to me.

If someone were to recognize you, would you want them to come up and say hello or just admire from a distance?

Uh, definitely come up.

I like to think of myself as a people person.

So come up.

We can take a photo.

Andi, I'd only charge you 2000 yen in 20 years.

Looking back on your time at Japan guide dot com What do you expect will be some of your favorite videos to have been part of one that I'm sure will live forever in my memory is accused video that we did, uh, we I mean, watch the video, but we drove from Sita to Kumamoto on we had a road trip.

It was absolutely brilliant.

Time stayed in some nice places, bathed in some nice hot springs, ate some great food on It was just a perfect little experience.

Yeah, and then another one, which again is from this year 2019 Was the Nagoya the key?

Soggy one in the middle of winter?

Uh, really, really cold, but just beautiful, Unbelievably beautiful landscapes.

And we were walking through again.

We stayed in some really nice accommodation.

Did some really interesting stuff, Cem Delicious food on a swell.

I like to think that the video turned out pretty good for that one, too.

Could you briefly describe the process of making a video from beginning to end?

Uh, yeah, making a Japan travel video.

There's a lot that goes into it.

We have toe kind of visualized what the video is gonna look like.

Andi, uh, you know, kind of come up with an idea of an itinerary where we wanna go and then following that, we have to get permission on, get in contact with a lot of these places if not all of them to make sure that we're allowed to film that we have to organize schedules after organize, were.

And when we're gonna meet people where we're gonna eat where we're going to stay, there's a lot of organization that goes into it on.

Then of course, we actually go on the trip.

We travel around, and that's the part that you guys at home and get to see on.

Then when we get back to the office, the videographers and editors go through the footage.

Onda piece it together, piece by piece.

We family lay over the voice overs in the booth that we have here in the office cum studio.

Andi.

Then it's a wrap.

As they say, you seem to have developed a following of people who comment about the times you're seen eating in videos.

Since this might be the last time, here's a small snack.

Could you have some and react to the experience?

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay.

Let's do this.

Mm.

Okay, guys.

Iraqi HMAS.

Mm.

So good.

Sweep creamy.

Um, you gotta riel green tea flavor about it.

Most delicious.

Can you explain what went through your mind as you did that?

But the early videos I remember we went to Khaki Gower and she's a walk up.

And it was the first time I think I had a tasting shot.

I think I'm not sure I just unbelievably pull my face.

It was just like this camera in front of me.

I get the stick and I got Yeah.

So when you eat food on camera, how is that different than eating food by yourself?

I think, Yeah.

You When you're eating on your own, you know, you've got nothing to worry about apart from if the food's not delicious when you're on camera, there is a part of your brain that's, you know, thinking about what kind of reaction should I give to this on?

I've found that over the course of filming, the best thing to do is to just let it be natural.

Just relax and try and pretend the cameras and there and give the most organic, natural reaction you could get.

And that's probably why you probably about three stock reactions from Sam Evans.

We've got that we've got.

Uh huh.

Maybe one of the thumbs up?

Yep.

The thumbs up during your time at Japan guy dot com, You've had to wear a lot of outfits on camera, which has been your favorite.

Okay.

Yeah, that's easy.

Best one waas When we shot the Narita side trip video Andi, I wore the kimono walking around the streets.

Real nice kimono of how powerful that was badass.

A lights up.

Let's watch a short clip from one of your videos.

Thank you.

So watch that now.

Yeah.

Seven day tour from Tokyo to Kyoto on what better way to end a trip like this than a Kyoto?

Fantastic.

Fushimi Inari Shrine?

Yes, on that Concludes Remember it very well.

In that clip you appear calm, collected and as if you enjoyed a pleasant stroll through the thousands of red gates at Fushimi Nutty is that accurate?

And can you tell us some background info for that sequence?

Uh, that one.

We I believe we have 35 minutes after arriving at Fushimi Inari to get to the top, get to the bottom and then connect to our trains s.

So it was an absolute time crunch.

We ran up through the all these Vermillion gates.

Uh, scale this thing.

Mountain did that talking point.

I think we had maybe 30 seconds to get the talking point.

Maybe 1.5 takes and we were back down.

Got the train.

Makes me tired just thinking about it.

There have been several times you've been shown in videos enjoying a bath which owns him and Japan are among your favorites.

A Zamir case of Gunma.

Pride would have to be the lovely baths She, Bronson really like she Bronson Also on the recent Kyushu trip that we did cook our answer and that was just gorgeous.

The water, the baths were just amazing.

In the Gulf video, you're shown to have broken part.

Be honest.

What is your real handicap in golf?

If I had to hazard a guess, my Riel Golf Handicap would probably be probably somewhere in the sixties seventies.

Would like low seventies will say low seventies.

Yeah.

Ah, lot of people watched Japan guide dot com videos for inspiration of where to travel.

If you spent several years away from Japan and then took a vacation here, what are a few places you definitely want to try and visit?

If it was a short trip, it would have to be in the Kansai region on.

That is because the cancer region for me, it kind of has it all.

You have the Muslim big cities.

Uh, namely Osaka.

You have Kyoto.

One more needs to said it's the one of the most breathtaking places in the country.

Loads of temple shrines, beautiful gardens on then you have nada on the doorstep.

You have some beautiful, beautiful nature for hiking and exploring.

For me, it just has everything in a small area, so it's easily accessible.

Kansai, during your time here, you've obviously learned a lot about the culture.

Are there any points of etiquette?

You wish all tourists new when visiting Japan?

I think a good place to start would that would benefit tourists would be being a war of how loud one is when taking the trains.

I think that it benefits everybody if everybody is considerate and it doesn't talk too loud on the trains.

Andi, I'd say that's probably my biggest advice for tourists as this is your last video.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to the viewers?

A last note to the viewers I would just look to say, Um, thank you, first and foremost for watching our videos, and I hope that you guys continue to keep watching and enjoying into the future.

Um, keep traveling to Japan.

And if you haven't done so yet, keep the dream alive.

It's an incredible country.

Andi just made the most of it.

This is a beautiful place that anybody who has been here eyes or has been looking off to experience or take care.

Finally, please read this.

Oh, wow.

Ha ha ha!

Nice Mhm.

Thanks for watching toe.

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