sixyearsago, Freshoutofuniversity, I packedmybagsandmovedtoJapantoeworkasanEnglishteacherwhere I foundmyselfrandomlyplacedinthebeautiful, farflungregionofYamagata, alongJapan's remotenorthwestcoastline.
Intheweeksthatfollowed, I begandocumentinglifeinmynewbewilderingsurroundings, threemonthlyvideosthat I woulduploadteaching.
However, asmuchas I reveledintheadventurouslifestyleoflivinginruralJapanafteroneyear, I'd failedtoforgeanymeaningfulconnectionswiththelocalsamidstthelanguagebarrierand a culture I struggledtocomprehend.
Thenonedaythatallchanged.
Mybumpedintounenthusiasticstrangerinthestreet.
A guywhotookmeunderhiswingbecamemywayintoJapan, outspoken, rebelliousandoftenPresumptionswhatlittleEnglishheknew.
Oncein a lifetimejourneytoEurope, I followedNowitzkioverthecourseofseveralmonthsinanattempttouncoverhisstoryoutsideofsporadicEugeneappearances.
Andtounderstandhowin a culturewhereoutspoken, rebelliousindividualsareoftenostracized, howdidnotaskyoubecometheantithesistosomanytraditionalJapanesevalues?
Youlistentoabsoluteradio.
Welcome.
I ampicked.
Allison, ifyou'vejusttunedin, that's twoMeteo.
Whataboutyou?
Mybreakfast, coffeesignatureandsingerCallit a break.
Firsteasy.
Mmm.
Sogood.
HowmanycigarettessmokeinonedayontheSo I do.
Andsotoo 30 cigarettesfantasy.
Haveyouevertriedtostop?
Yes.
Stop.
I'm stopped.
I wasstuck.
Buttwoweeks I giveup, Umstories.
Morestores.
Oh, no.
Oh, myGod.
Comeon, Cyril.
It's okay.
I don't feelsogood.
It's Ah, yeah.
Marino.
Shetookit.
Shetookyourunitedthatboom.
Theyalreadycalledtoset a singlestep.
Sothen I wantmusic.
TheOSHALetmesaythis.
Nowgooverthere.
Because I knowwhathappened.
Goodthinking.
Hedidit.
Oh, I couldn't tellhim.
Notune, noontheaquaticsbootable.
Julianne, cyclemecrushsixpieceoff.
Damngroupgoingtotarget.
Sorry, Theyhavemyspangle.
And I got a wonderfulthingbecause I did.
Thanks.
LaskyrunshisbeautysalontogetherwiththehelpofseveralstaffonAsami, hiswifeandbusinesspartnerfor 15 years.
I wantedtofindouthowNowitzkiinterpretedhislifeonYouTube.
Itseemsthatinmanyways, hisdreamofbeing a performerandentertainingpeoplehasbeenrealizedorbit.
Notbyplayingin a bandbutbyentertainingpeoplethroughtheInternet.
You, Jubal, you, Jim.
It'llsay, that's a model.
Homestarts.
Knowmehome.
Youdon't go.
Whodidit?
Sojust a quickhand.
That's Kay.
Yeah, comeinJapan.
I meanatthepicture.
Mothermoneytonight.
I mean, I'm integrated, Terry.
I don't mean I mindjustposted.
I don't meannowyouwillmake a mostlogicalmarkets.
RyanCommandocomics.
I lovetogoon a picnicwithnets.
Tobehonest, I don't wantit.
GoonPicnics.
Magic, magicalendurableWhilstyoucheapislednerskitolivesomethingof a doublelife, there's nodoubtthepursuitofindependencethroughselfemploymenthascomeat a cost.
Nowinhismidforties, hishecticsixday a weekworkscheduleofdominatingnext.
Hislife.
Hisrollersowner, keymemberofstaffhasmeantleavinghisbusinessevenforjust a shorttimehasbeenincrediblydifficultovertheyears.
Friendshavethrown a lastsuppertoseehimoffonhisjourney.
I askedthemwhytheythinkthat's key.
Foundonlinepopularity.
Whydo I thinkthat's he's popularonYouTube?
Well, he's notlikeotherJapanesefablelikeheexists.
Is 40 thinksyoulooklikereadintothisguybetterforus.
I mean, he's a decentenoughguy.
Get a fewdrinks.
Andhowmanyiscertainly a laughriot.
Oh, I know, I knowitisEnglishandJapanesegettothesamelevelafter a fewbeers, andnooneunderstandseithergreatwordSpreadofmatsKeysupcomingtriptoEurope, mainlybecausehe's beenbraggingaboutittohalfthetownandtheownerofthelocalrestaurant, KeikoSan, Once a pieceoftheaction.
16.
Sowhat?
Taking a packetofdriedseaweed.
8000 miles.
A somewhatbizarreadditiontoanalreadyunconventional.
What?
Wait.
Yes.
AfterarrivinginLondon, mostpeoplegoto a pubmuseumshop.
Butsoonafterlanding, Maskeydoesn't wastetimeandgangacrossthecitytopayhisrespectstoidleSidVicious, theleadsingerininfamousseventiespunkrockgroupSexPistolsoninoneofLondon's biggestcemeteryoffindinghimisnoeasytask X kills.
Hello.
Uh, I looking, searching.
Yeah.
ExcuseSeeIsha C s I d SidVicious.
No, no, no.
Saidfishes.
This I thebigshift.
Wow.
What?
No.
Hey.
HatesAmerica.
America.
Yousure?
Yeah.
Sohe's nohere.
Lockedup.
Well, fun.
Oh, my, reallyAmerica.
Seededfromyou, Keisha.
Yougaveyourself 50 wattsjustnow.
15 hours.
Justwhy?
Whydidyouthinkhewashere?
Betterfamouscemetery?
Yeah.
InLondon.
Yeah, I think.
Sitstripping.
Areyoudisappointed?
Maybe I set.
It's a disastrousstart.
Tonight's keysoncein a lifetimetrade.
However, fortunately, a friendlyfacejustaroundthecornerofferssomemomentaryresponse.
What?
Thismonks.
TomasKarlMarx.
Wow.
Amazing.
It's veryfamousintheworldwouldberead.
Haveyoureadhisbooks?
Yeah.
Comeonforyou.
NiceUK.
Hisbucketlisthasn't gotoffto a greatstart, butthingscanonlygoup.
Butbeyondalloftheserandomexperiences, I hopeit's leftnowski, butsomethingmorethanjust a fewgoodmemories.
MadisonBookNurseyParis, ParisParisMessageSet a bubble?
No.
SincereturningfromhistriptoEurope, NASCARhasbeenworkingon a projectwriting a newsong.
It's hisfirstsonginyears.
Today.
Emma, Theis, FranceGotcut.
Comehereorthere.
Whatever.
Look, I don't know.
Sodidit.
I don't know.
There.
Oh, wemake a salt.
Foreseethebusiness?
Yeah.
I gotyou a present.
You'regoingoutofmyskull.
Itstarget.
Youdon't know.
No, youdon't.
YougotDoreen's did a video.
Wait.
Thankyou.
Oh, thankyou.
Saidgoodman.
I feelgood.
DiditAndthatitOh, whatisgoingon?
sixyearsago, Freshoutofuniversity, I packedmybagsandmovedtoJapantoeworkasanEnglishteacherwhere I foundmyselfrandomlyplacedinthebeautiful, farflungregionofYamagata, alongJapan's remotenorthwestcoastline.