*whistling*

Now, I remember the good old days when I used to look forward to breakfast

with things like eggs, sausages, bacon, omelets;

now, now it's just oatmeal.

About four months ago, I decided to switch to a healthy breakfast.

It was part of my incredible plan to gradually lose weight throughout the year

so my breakfast routine has been comprised of oatmeal, black coffee and a banana.

Only problem is, I still haven't lost any weight; this breakfast routine has failed to bear any fruit.

Well, apart from the banana.

In hindsight it might be because, after preparing the healthy, nutritious oatmeal,

I have to drench it with at least one liter of maple syrup to make it edible.

Yeah, Canadian culture!

Only reason I decided to do a vlog today of all days,

is because I suspect today could be slightly above average day.

I'll get onto it in a minute, why that might be. Suffice to say, it might involve going to Tokyo and being on Japanese TV.

*Might* be, because I don't - even I don't know to be honest.

A day in my life vlog, until now - is - y'know, what day should you do a day in your life vlog?

You never know what life might throw at you in any - in any given day.

For example, yesterday when I woke up

I never thought, by the end of the day I would have bought a brand new oven glove

especially as one as flimsy and as tacky as this.

But its true value lies here on the back of the oven glove with this powerful philosophical statement, which

resonated with me on an emotional level. I'll read it out, it says:

This is me. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

And I read that and I thought, "Yes, that is me. That is how I define accomplishment."

Only thing that compromises that bold statement here is the question underneath, and it's a question that reads:

"What your favorit color?"

What your favorit color?

Uh, I don't know who thought

that was a necessary addition to the glove

seems like a pretty poor follow-up question to an otherwise reasonable statement.

You know, it'd be a bit like Sarah Connor in the Terminator turning to her son John and saying,

"John, there is no fate, but what we make for ourselves. Oh, and by the way,

what your favorit animal?!"

It's outside of having a shower, eating breakfast, and examining oven gloves;

The only other habit I have, the only other morning routine I do is

I write out one chapter from a Japanese textbook. In this case, the Intermediate Japanese Grammar Guide.

I don't have as much time as I used to when it comes to learning Japanese.

This is the one thing I pretty much do now, every day.

Like I really enjoy studying Japanese and even though my handwriting is atrocious, I really enjoy doing it.

I know when I've done this, I've done one good thing today, you know. Even if the rest of the day goes to shit,

I've done something that I could be happy about.

Oh my god.

Now that is what I call a Christmas tree.

Yeah, look at those lights. Look at that.

All ready to go for Christmas, all ready to go for December.

So, about to pack the bags, go to Tokyo, and while I'm doing it

I'll fill you in on why we're going in the first place.

So every year in Japan

they have a big annual awards thing

for the 30 keywords of the year. 30 keywords that summarize the year's annual events.

I think last year the keywords were "Shinzo Abe" (the Prime Minister of Japan)

maybe "Donald Trump", and "fake news"

but there's 30 of them, and somebody who represents that keyword will

come on stage and get the award in front of loads of cameras and stuff

and it's a really big, kind of event throughout Japan on the news, and this year one of the top ten keywords is "J-Alert".

Now J-Alert is the system which notifies you in an emergency.

For example, like an earthquake or a tsunami, your phone will ring and go off and vibrate to kind of notify you

about the emergency.

And J-Alert also happens when there's a North Korean missile.

You probably know where this is going.

They apparently - they saw my video where I got woken up by the North Korean missile

by J-Alert, right, they saw that and thought I would be

a good representative for the word J-Alert.

So I've got go to Tokyo and accept this kind of award for the keyword in front loads of cameras and stuff

and it's really weird, and I don't know much about it other than that, but I'm a little bit nervous.

I don't really know what to expect, it might be good, it might not be good, but we are gonna find out.

Fortunately I've got help on the way.

Ryotaro - my friend Ryotaro is gonna be joining me down there to kind of help me out.

I told a good friend of mine about this award yesterday, and he said to me that it sounded like a "Sick award, mate!"

Yeah, it's "sick", and I thought, why do people use the word "sick" in that context?

It really annoys me.

When did that become a popular word? If somebody says to me, "Yeah, that was sick mate!"

I literally just picture a puddle of sick in my mind. I don't want to, you know,

I don't want to, but it's just there - a puddle, a puddle of sick

and it's horrible, so

So we've got to ride the Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo today, but I'm feeling a little bit anxious.

There was an event last week that shook Japan to its core:

A train - a train left the station

20 seconds early.

They were supposed to leave the station at 9:44:40

but it left at 9:44:20.

What happened next was a global media storm, and even though the train company apologized, the damage -

the damage was done, so I'm keen to get there 20 seconds early today

especially as we've got to do at least one swanky time-lapse of Sendai before we go, so let's get a move on.

Just did the time-lapse, it came out pretty well.

I would say - I would go so far to say it was *sick*.

But as I came out the building while I was doing it, I noticed there was loads of people standing around

I peeked at someone's phone, and they're all playing Pokemon Go. I thought that died out ages ago.

I didn't realize that was still a thing. I know I never got into it.

Thought it was a waste of time - time better spent doing time lapses, and actually there's people here:

They're playing Pokemon Go as well. Didn't even notice.

Right then. Onwards to Tokyo.

(machine) Ticket and coin.

So, we're on the train. Didn't leave 20 seconds early this time.

My little bento to see me through the trip:

I think it's chicken or pork or something. Should be there in 90 minutes.

So I'm gonna get some work done and have some lunch.

Looks alright, it's not gonna win any prizes for looking too nice, though.

Yeah, let's tuck in.

Second coffee of the day - much needed.

Especially as we're gonna be passing through Tokyo Station soon, the eighth busiest station in the world.

I hate it. Whenever I go there I feel so overwhelmed

and to go from like, Sendai, which is in the countryside, which is, you know,

there's not that many people here - to go from there to

all of a sudden be flooded with hundreds and thousands of people standing around.

It's just kind of a really intense transition, and -

so yeah, need to be prepared. That's where coffee comes in.

So now we've got to go to the Imperial Hotel

and I don't know where that is.

Whilst Tokyo Station might be pretty chaotic, the area around it is actually really nice.

It's very relaxed, chilled out.

In many ways, it feels very different from the rest of Tokyo. The streets are really, kind of huge,

there's trees, unbelievably,

and lots of coffee shops. It's just a nice place to

just chill out and relax.

If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed in Tokyo, this is the area: Tokyo Station.

Just got an angry phone call from Ryotaro: "I'm in the lobby by the Christmas tree. Where are you?"

We're here at the Imperial Hotel though. Looks rather grand, it's huge.

All right, let's go and find Mr. Grumpy.

(Chris) Hey!

(Ryotaro) What're you doing?

(Chris) Vlogging.

(Ryotaro) Vlogging?

(Chris) Gonna be a vlogger today.

(Ryotaro) Yeah?

(Chris) Say something profound, quick.

(Ryotaro) Profound?

(Chris) Yeah, quick.

(Ryotaro) Today's the day.

(Chris) Today's the day?

(Ryotaro) Right. For us.

(Chris) You got a haircut.

(Ryotaro) Yeah, yeah, I got a haircut.

(Chris) All right, let's go.

Have you been here before?

(Ryotaro) Yes, I have.

(Chris) Many times?

(Ryotaro) Yeah, many times.

(Chris) Of course you have. Luxurious, decadent man.

So, we're in the room. Ryotaro's gonna come and meet us down here in a minute.

Coffee's on the way.

It's the most important thing whenever you get into a hotel room.

Between you and me

I don't think I'd stay here. It seems a bit expensive for what it is.

It's more about the reputation, right, than actually being something that's good.

Still, we'll find out.

Oh, the coffee's ready.

(Ryotaro) Hey, brother.

(Chris) What'd you just say? "Hey, brother"?

From my room, actually I can look over the Imperial Palace

(Chris) You bastard.

(Ryotaro) Cup of coffee.

(Chris) Here's your coffee, your lordship.

(Ryotaro) Thank you.

(Chris) All right, they gave us the rundown on what's happening.

So, this - this award

it's like a TV show that they have every year.

(Ryotaro) From, like tonight and, in every single news

that you - that gets broadcasted in Japan will cover on that.

(Chris) Bloody -

(Ryotaro) Amazing.

(Chris) Bit scary, isn't it.

(Ryotaro) It is, it is.

(Chris) Will I be on the front cover of Time magazine?

(Ryotaro) I'm not sure about that.

(Chris) I've been let down by the media time and time again. About two months ago I was told I'd be on ITV News

and I was, for like ten seconds, then there was the BBC live interview where my iPhone died

and it's just like, yeah, there never seems to be -

Close, but no cigar.

(Ryotaro) Yeah, see, like you don't - you shouldn't put, like too much expectation on that

But, the fact is, they have chosen 30 words, and we are chosen within those first ten.

(Chris) First ten? First ten?

(Ryotaro) First ten.

(Chris) Do you know where?

(Ryotaro) Don't know.

(Chris) Could we be number one?

(Ryotaro) Nah, nah, nah. J-Alert? Nah.

(Chris) Can't be number one. Although it could get political, with the whole North Korean thing.

Maybe they want to be like, "Ah, war with North Korea! J-Alert! Whoa!"

Shame we're not first though. People say it's taking part that counts, it's not. It's coming first. Everyone knows that. Taking part, load of rubbish.

If you don't win, you're nothing. Write that down, put it on your wall.

That's the quote of the day.

So, go up on stage, do I have to say anything?

(Ryotaro) I don't know - oh, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Yes, they will.

(Chris) What do I say?

(high pitched voice)

(laughs)

They'll be like, they'll be like "Welp."

In that voice.

Just scare everyone.

I've got the Fuck Sake t-shirt, can I wear that on stage?

(Ryotaro) I don't know. I don't know.

(Chris) Something like that could be good.

Free million dollar -

Ryotaro, we have a situation

My t-shirt, look how crinkled it is,

wrinkled, wrinkled, crinkled.

Can't go on a TV show with like, a few million people watching it, with a

t-shirt that looks like that.

(Ryotaro) Yeah, that's a Youtuber. So we dress like a Youtuber.

It just tells what it is, you know? Tells the reality. How you live.

(Chris) But I'm better than this.

(Ryotaro) I didn't know that.

(Chris) I'll show him.

Hi, could I have the ironing board, please?

Thank you very much.

Aha, so I got the ironing board.

The only problem is, I've only ironed clothes like, once in my life.

I tend to just get them out the washing machine and then hang them up in a nice way

and they didn't get creased anyway, but

how does this - what do we do?

Shit.