What Is TofuguTV?

by 520 Comments

On Twitter and Facebook I’ve been teasing TofuguTV. Now I’m ready to let you know what it is… and it’s not a revolutionary new way to consume fugu in front of your television set. Am I going to be on “real” television? Am I going to start Livestreaming? Am I going to start selling a line of cheap Korean Tofugu shaped box television sets? Maybe. To find out what what the answer is, keep reading.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF3dQDyA2ks']

I’ve been thinking about this “project” for a while now. I’ve wanted to make my own show, but I don’t want to be wrapped into regular tv production schedules and rigmaroles (oh, and I guess there’s the problem that no television show would actually want me to make a show for them). Prices dropped, the timing became right, and I decided (just a couple days ago) to book a flight and make it happen. Thinking about “what could be” isn’t all that fun. Taking action, learning, and doing things is, so that’s what I’m doing.

So, here’s what I’m doing.

From December 1 – 21, 2010, I’ll be in Japan filming, filming, filming. I want to take you to the places that you normally never see. If you read this blog, you probably know more about Japan than the average bear. That means you know (at least a little bit) about Tokyo, Kyoto, and other big “touristy” places like that. I want to get out of the cities, get off at random train stations, talk to random people, and discover the “famous things” about small towns and villages. I suppose I’ll hit bigger cities too, but that’s not where the focus is. I’ll also be meeting up with bloggers, vloggers, and other folks to get other people on the show. I’m hoping to film 15-20 “TVish length” episodes, which will be uploaded to YouTube starting in January, free for you to watch (of course).

I don’t know where I’ll be going yet, but that’s where you come in. On certain days, while I’m in Japan, I’ll be putting up polls on Twitter, Facebook, and the Tofugu Newsletter (though not all of them at the same time, so you have to be subscribed to all of them, bwahaha!). In those polls, you’ll be able to vote on what you want me to do and where you want me to go. At night, I’ll probably post up some options for the next day (or something like that), and you’ll be able to vote on what you want to see most. Interactivity, baby. I want you to be a part of this show, too.

I’ll be posting more about this show (videos on the prep, and such) before leaving on December 1st, so make sure you’re subscribed to the Tofugu YouTube Channel (or this blog’s feed) to get a hold of those.

I’ve also decided not to ask for donations for Season 1 of TofuguTV. If you do want to support, though, be sure to check out TextFugu. It’s an online Japanese textbook that I’m writing, made especially for self learners of Japanese. If you’re looking to learn Japanese, you should seriously check it out – I wrote it for a younger me. I wish I could have had it when I was learning Japanese :( Oh, and members of TextFugu will be getting some exclusive “lesson-related” content from when I’m traveling, so current members and would-be members can look forward to that!

That’s it for now, watch the video for more info – more updates will be coming, but I hope you enjoy this “project!” I’m sure I will.

Any place/thing you’d particularly like to see in the show?

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  • http://threadpiece.blogspot.com gec

    Come to SHIKOKU!!! More specifically, Uchiko. http://utia.jp/

  • Hayley

    This sounds like an amazing idea Koichi! :)

  • Japanalana

    Come to IWATE! The guide books never cover here. My friends and I can show you all the best spots. http://www.alanagreen.blogspot.com

  • http://twitter.com/21tigermike Michael A. Robson

    Wait, let me get this straight… It’s called TofuguTV and you DIDN’T photoshop a picture of Steve Jobs holding the new AppleTV (with sushi/doreomon/tofu pieces/kanji photoshopped over top of it)??

    Awww….

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    oof, that’s pretty far north. Maybe, though! Keep an eye on Twitter / here, and let me know if the offer still stands if / when I’m nearby!

  • clc88

    wow, this is something that interests me

    i havent been to japan myself, but always wanted to go… i’ve watched all these travel shows and while they were interesting, i felt everything was made to look good (we didnt see garbage on the streets or whatever, everything was just too friendly)
    i hope this series will expose some of the darker sides of japan!

    im also interested to see what people do on the trains and buses (from reading manga, to playing video games and even to groping)

  • anon

    Ohh that’s cool, Koikoi.
    You’re doing this for your own fun as well, right :) Something like this seems so expensive (travel costs （´д｀）)
    Now I’ll have to subscribe to all three…

  • su-chan33

    Can you go to Kyushu? It’s definiteley out of the way but I’ve always been kind of curious what’s out there. Like isn’t Nagasaki suppose to be where the Portugese came and traded with them? Did Castella come from there? Is that where the word “pan” came from? Or like do a Kansai special and find out just how cheap Kansai people really are? ;-) Maybe some towns by the Japan Sea? Sado was nice.

  • http://acgalaga.com/ ACGalaga

    My area is pretty interesting. Mie-ken (between Nagoya and Osaka) has the Ise area as well as the Iga area.
    Also, not to far away, you could visit Station Master Cat!

  • Barry Dahlberg

    I’ve spent a few months in Kyoto before and the most fun people I talked to were either very old or very young. Don’t focus too much on the current generation.

    Go and spend some time with young school children, find out what their lives are like. They would stare at me on the trains and giggle with their friends when they thought I couldn’t see. I used to bump into them walking home from school and they would say “Hello” and then forget every other English word they had forgotten. I thought it was cute.

    I have asked a few people for directions on the trains. One was a teenage girl who was terrified of me. Another was an old oba-san who I ended up setting next to for the whole train ride, talking in my terribly broken Japanese about the teddy bears she was taking to her granddaughter. She was patient, kind and had a sense of humour.

    These are not places to go, but some ideas of people to see, have fun!

  • Barry Dahlberg

    I’ve spent a few months in Kyoto before and the most fun people I talked to were either very old or very young. Don’t focus too much on the current generation.

    Go and spend some time with young school children, find out what their lives are like. They would stare at me on the trains and giggle with their friends when they thought I couldn’t see. I used to bump into them walking home from school and they would say “Hello” and then forget every other English word they had forgotten. I thought it was cute.

    I have asked a few people for directions on the trains. One was a teenage girl who was terrified of me. Another was an old oba-san who I ended up setting next to for the whole train ride, talking in my terribly broken Japanese about the teddy bears she was taking to her granddaughter. She was patient, kind and had a sense of humour.

    These are not places to go, but some ideas of people to see, have fun!

  • http://twitter.com/richfowler Rich Fowler

    Ah yeah, when I was in Japan for about 5 weeks a few years back, it seems like the only people who weren’t terrified of me were the older folks. Old people are cool, and they know a lot of cool stuff, because they’ve seen and done a lot of stuff.

    There were some younger folks who were okay, but for the most part when I was in a jam, I could count on the older folks to come up and ask me if I needed help.

    Of course, the JR pass rocks the clock. I abused mine like nobody’s business. Nagoya to Hiroshima to Fukuoka to Osaka to Nagano to Sendai to Tokyo… nothing like it. It even works on the Miyajima ferry, if you go to Hiroshima. (Miyajima is gorgeous, if a bit touristy.)

  • http://twitter.com/kimadis 100193

    I can’t wait to see it! :)

  • http://twitter.com/kimadis 100193

    I can’t wait to see it! :)

  • xiongmao

    cycling across the Seto Inland Sea from Onomichi (near Hiroshima) to Imabari looks superlatively awesome.

    the path is dotted with loads of islands so god knows what you may find on your way to Shikoku!!

  • Anthony Short

    Awesome! I can’t wait.

  • Hiroki Matsuuchi

    On December 12th at 7:00pm in the city of Kobe (specifically by Sannomiya Station 三ノ宮駅) the Bad Communication podcast is hosting a content creators meet up that’s also open to the public. We’ve got a great list of content creators already attending and would love if you could also be there. So far we have:

    Doug DeLong and Jennifer Eda of Planet Japan
    Edward Chmura of Japan Talk
    Busan Kevin of Amazing Tales From Asia
    Victor of the gimmeabreakman YouTube channel
    Janathan Reynolds of the reynoldsair YouTube channel
    Andrew of the spydermurphy YouTube channel
    Furetosan of the Furetosan YouTube channel
    Dimitri Perrin of Dimitri’s Blog
    Ian Robertson of the donnachaidh YouTube channel
    Hiroki Matsuuchi and Andrew Hawkins from Bad Communication

    If you’re interested you can check out or meet up page at: http://11reviews.com/badcommunication/december-meet-up/

    Let me know if you’d like to attend!

  • Hbodey

    I’ll be in Japan then! Can I meet you?! I love your blog! :D

  • http://twitter.com/kuroboese Paul Boese

    Visit Gunma prefecture and the home of J-List.

  • http://kamoey.wordpress.com Kim

    Come visit me in Japan!

  • Ayu

    I think you should go to Shueisha… and if its possible than do a guided tour. (*__*)

  • sleepylizard

    I’m currently writing an undergrad thesis on the 88-temple pilgrimage (henro) in Shikoku. I’d love to see some footage of the trail, or interviews with pilgrims!

    Looking forward to this :)

  • SoulRebel

    OSAKA!!!! You’ll get to practice your Kansai-ben, and root for the Hanshin tigers. :)

  • http://bahiaportfolio.wordpress.com Bahiaportfolio

    Go to Gunma!!! Kusatsu has amazing onsen! Also, Gunma is shaped like a crane an has excellent cabbage.

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  • kisu

    come to Miyazaki, i’ll show you around!

  • http://twitter.com/sleepytako David

    If you want someone to show you around some sento in Kansai give me a ring.

    I write kansaionsenreview.blogspot.com and I’m currently working on a larger, more comprehensive, site called iloveyu.jp

  • Ouzzy91

    AWESOME! Akihabara! Got to go to Akihabara!

  • http://jlptbootcamp.com Mac

    Come visit Osaka, the world capital of fried stuff on a stick! 食いだおれ！

  • Leisa

    Cat Island! ;D

  • Hydein

    oh~ since Japan is kinda famous for tokusatsu, perhaps you could cover that :D

  • rose

    hmm.. I always loved Furano and Biei.. every Japanese know this place because of famous dorama 北の国から ^^

    Also Kawayu Onsen is a grat place and the two lakes (Mashu and Kussharo) are soooo beautiful!!

    Other interesting place is the station of Sakuragicho in Yokohama.. just two exits, but soo different.
    Left one leads to famous Minato mirai and right one ends in small buildings and very charming restaurant filled city which connects to Kannai..
    btw, around Minatomirai there is a famous place (arena shaped steps) for comedian. Not just japanese, though. Sometimes I went there to see a wonderful duo called Alley Katz (they´re foreign, but speak japanese perfectly).

  • rose

    awwh.. have to correct myself.. Alley Katz is an entertainment booking agency, but I will do my best to find out their name ´cause they were awesome :D

  • http://mistersanity.blogspot.com Jonadab

    I think people would like to see Wakkanai.

  • Herman

    Hey Koichi

    Perhaps you are familiar with a guy called Rodger Swan, also known as Iwate Swan on his Youtube channel. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us due to a very tragic disease that struck him called pancreatitis, eventually resulting into his death on January 26th while staying in Japan. Many condolences to his family, friends and everyone that knew him either in real life or through his video series of Japan on his Youtube channel.
    He was what he called ”a Swan on a mission” and that was to explore all the places that he visited in Iwate while working as an English teacher at different high schools in the Hanamaki region. After his return in January this year, his video series would continue as planned. Ever since he left us, I have hoped until present day that there would be someone to follow into his footsteps and finish that what he started, and that is to explore the rest of Iwate prefecture. I sincerely hope that you would consider to make at least one ”tribute episode” in remembrance of Rodger. What kind of places you could visit is entirely up to you, obviously some places that Rodger showed in his video’s.

    Anyways, those are my suggestions for your upcoming TofuguTV. Best of luck to you!

  • VXLbeast

    This is such a good idea…dude, you have really done right with your life.

  • David_rains

    How about the Hitachino Brewery in Ibaraki? Years ago, Steve Ressel (Invader Zim director) visited there and posted pictures on his LiveJournal page which he shut down a short time later. It was definitely off the beaten track.

  • Karlita:D

    Awesome!

  • Hyperichigo

    Can’t wait to see the videos from your trip! I would say go to Hokkaido but I don’t know if that will be too north for you. It’s a beautiful place to be and plenty of non mainstream places to visit and see.

  • Eringibagel

    You should come to West Tokyo, because it is a very rural place. Tokyo is a big city, but you also can find there is a slow life in there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/LukeHero Luke Hero

    Oooh im very much looking forward to this.
    As you are id imagine! :D
    Are you just going alone with a camcorder?

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    Something like that :)

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  • Lena

    Haha if you ever come to Kyoto and need a hand, I would love to meet you! :D

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    Send me an email! I might take you up on your offer :)

  • http://twitter.com/PickMyBran Brandon McL educator

    If you’re in the Shizuoka area, I would love to buy you a pint.

  • http://twitter.com/edgarjon Jon

    Besides reading, listening to mp3 players, and playing on their cellphone and DS (I saw one guy do BOTH at the SAME TIME on the shinkansen, lol!), all they really do is sleep.

    Well, sometimes eat when the cart lady goes by. You can get some reeealllyyy delicious “earl grey ice cream” and “green tea ice cream” that way! :D

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1416420264 Aubrie L’rai Johnson

    Let’s see Tashirojima! :D

  • http://twitter.com/dotfury dot furious

    Come to Sadogashima, Niigata. I can show you around.

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