Hey guys, welcome back to Japan. I'm actually in Japan right now. This is my messy hotel room.
I am up in Morioka city, in Iwate prefecture.
Which is my absolute favorite city in Japan. If you've been following me for a while
you know why that is. This is actually the first place that I ever
visited when I came to Japan when I was really young. I think I was 16 years old.
This is the first place I visited. I did a two-week high school exchange here, and I absolutely loved it.
So when I moved back to Japan a few years later, I started off in Tokyo
and then I just realized I really wanted to be up here in Iwate.
So I moved up here and spent another few years here.
So this is like my hometown. This feels like my hometown really. I feel more at home here than I do
back in Canada sometimes. So I'm always super excited to come back here.
I'm actually here for work. I'm doing an interview in about 30 minutes.
So I'm just heading out the door but I wanted to kind of like, catch you guys up on what's going on in my life.
I haven't been making too many videos because I've been travelling all over the place.
I will fill you in on that later but first I'm gonna head down to Morioka station to meet the crew.
We're gonna film a quick little interview.
Which is actually gonna be part of a video that they're playing at the opening ceremonies
at the Olympics in Tokyo.
It's very exciting. I'm slightly nervous. I've prepared what I want to say.
So hopefully I can deliver it properly.
But let's go the weather is very nice. I was very lucky.
It was kinda cloudy and slightly rainy yesterday but today is gorgeous.
Alright guys, my interview is over.
It went quite well, except when I arrived the camera crew had set everything right in the center of like the bus
roundabout area at Morioka station
and there were like a hundred people that are lining up
to wait for the bus and they have me doing an interview right in the middle of all of them.
But everyone's staring at me probably trying to figure out if I'm famous, I don't know,
actress or something. It was so awkward.
It made me really nervous.
But I think it went well, I think it went quite well. I just answered really naturally.
They were just asking me questions about why I love Iwate and what brought me to Morioka in the first place.
You know, what's so great about it what I would like to tell
other foreigners about it and that's gonna be part of a promotional video for the northern Japan area
that they're playing at the Olympics.
So I'm really excited to be a part of that because
promoting Tohoku is one of the things that I really want to do with my channel and my audience.
So I'm really really excited that I got to be part of like a really big project
that was gonna be part of the Olympics.
So I'm with my friend Mark now. Do you guys remember Mark?
Last time he was in my videos was two years ago.
He's the cool guy that works at the Magic bar.
Do you remember that? You guys might remember. If you've been following me since then, that's quite amazing.
Thank you for sticking around for two years. Yeah, he picked me up and we're gonna go for a drive.
It's a beautiful day here in Morioka. We're gonna go up to the mountain and we're gonna go see an observatory.
Like a viewpoint.
Where you can see the whole city, and I've actually never been there before which is weird.
I don't know why I've never been up there. So I'm super excited.
Up on that mountain there's a observatory up there.
Sweet you've never been up there. Awesome.
That's exciting.
It's so beautiful up here you guys. What? Why have I never been here?
Holy crap the view is so amazing.
I can't wait to show you guys.
Mount Iwate is right in front of me.
The whole city is in front of me. This is so cool.
Thanks for bringing me. I had no idea this existed the weather's perfect.
We're heading up now. Apparently they built a new observatory building.
Pretty cool.
It's like they spent a lot of money on this place.
Gotta higher view from up here.
Sun's about to set. Like 20 minutes until sunset. So we're gonna catch it.
So pretty.
Wow.
Mark was just saying you can climb that mountain in one day. You can hike it. So I will do that one day.
[Mark] I've never done it. [Sharla] Definitely want to go there. You've never done it?
[Sharla] Have you climbed, um, Mount Fuji? [Mark] No. [Sharla] *laughs* I have twice
[Mark] Really? [Sharla] Never again.
Said that the first time but never again. Seriously, two is enough.
So we are back at the same game center that we went to two years ago for revenge DDR.
If you guys remember. We came to this game center. We went up there.
We were all excited about playing DDR and then they like shot all the machines off and told us it was time to leave
I found out Mark likes DDR so we gotta play.
I'm really excited, but I have a hate of fourth mix. We don't know if this machine has fourth mix. So praying.
Is it not taking your money?
Mamonaku. [laughs]
[Sharla] You bitch... No. [Mark] Fuck
So that was really sad and I want to play so we're gonna go play now
but actually Mark sprained his ankle at badminton practice today.
So he's probably not gonna be able to play or, at least, he shouldn't.
So we're gonna have to find some like hand rhythm games to play.
[Sharla] Maybe they have the drum game. A drum master? Is that what it's called? [Mark] Drum mania.
[Sharla] Drum mania. Yeah, I love that game. So maybe they'll have that. [Mark] I'll still... I'll still probably try.
[Sharla] No don't do it. Don't do it.
Yeah. In the corner cos nobody plays anymore ever. It's like just me.
So it's been years since I last played and I still remember how to play. I think I'm still good at it.
But I am not in good physical shape. Holy crap that song killed me.
I used to play that like 20 times a day. Couldn't even handle it once.
We're gonna do some easier ones now. So I don't pass out.
[Game] Aww, yeah! That's what I'm talking about.
[Game cheering]
[Game] Combo.
There's an air conditioner to use after. Personal air-conditioner.
That's so cool.
I think that's enough exercise for today. [laughs]
I am like pooped. Like holy crap.
Good exercise? [laughs]
[Sharla] You exhausted? [Mark] I'm not exhausted, I'm in like, pain.
[Sharla] Yeah. He, ah... he did like expert mode because he's an idiot.
But he did amazing. He did way better than me with his sprained ankle. So, I need to practice.
I'm going to go back to my hotel for a bit.
Mark's got some plans and then we're going to meet up again later if possible, since it's my last night here.
So, we're gonna go for dinner or something. Um. But yeah. Let's go back to my hotel.
Back in my hotel room. My very messy hotel room.
I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I should probably start cleaning this up relatively sooner.
Probably won't be able to pack in time. Mark is off on his date.
Well, it's not a date, but I was joking with him.
He had a... a female friend contact him like out of the blue and they hadn't talked in a while.
And she said she has something important she needs to talk to him about. He has no idea what it is.
So, I told him that she's definitely gonna confess her love to him.
So, I'm excited to hear if that's what actually happened.
So he's out for dinner.
I'm gonna just chill in my hotel room and work on some videos for a bit.
But now I can finally sit down and update you guys on what I've been doing because I haven't been able to vlog very much.
So I have just been travelling all over the place.
I don't even know where to start.
Can't even remember what I've done that you guys probably don't know about.
So I think the first trip that I made this summer was to Japan.
Filmed a couple things that aren't out yet.
Um, but they will be out soon.
So there's some like random Japan videos here and there in between Korea stuff
and might even have some Canada stuff left.
No. I think I've put all the Canada stuff out but
my videos are just all over the place because I've been all over the place.
I went to Japan for like a week.
Then I went back to Korea for a little bit and then I went over to Canada for quite a decent length of time.
I really wanted to spend some quality time with my family. So I was there for a few weeks.
I told myself that I wouldn't do too much YouTube stuff while I was over there.
I really just wanted to use this time catching up with my family and enjoying my time with them and I really did.
I had a great time back in Canada. I'm glad that I put the camera away for it.
I just spent a lot of time just chatting with my grandpa just catching up and yeah, it was really nice.
I really needed a break and I think I just missed my family.
I hadn't had really any quality time just sitting down and talking with them in a while. So that was really nice.
And then after Canada, I went back to Korea for a little bit.
And when I say a little bit. Like a very little bit.
Just like a short time and
now I'm back in Japan and I've been in Japan for
two weeks. I think I'm on my second week now and I'm here for about another week or so.
I've got things that I need to do all over the place. I've got a couple meetings.
I've got a sponsored video that I'm doing, ah, in two days.
I'm going to be flying to a secret location to do a video there with Micaela.
Which I am so excited about and then I've got some meetings in Tokyo after that.
So it's been non-stop travelling for me these past couple months and it's been great because I like travelling.
I love seeing new places
I love catching up with people because I have friends all over the place. Friends and family all over the place.
So I feel very lucky that I've been able to spend this time to kind of catch up with everybody and see so many people.
So, it's been really nice. I have lots of really fun videos coming out.
So just wanted to say thank you for being patient
while I didn't really upload much these couple months.
And, hopefully I'll be able to make that up to you with all the fun things
I've been filming while I've been away travelling. Just need some time to sit down and edit it all.
So, that will be happening soon. I hope. And yeah, I guess that's about it.
That's really always been up to just lots of travelling. Lots of hanging out with people.
And catching up so it's been nice. It's been nice, but it's been busy and I've been really sick the entire time.
And I don't know why. I have this cough that I've had for like five months now. I should probably go to the doctor.
I always avoid going to the doctor because I feel like they give you unnecessary medicine.
To just cover up the symptoms and they don't actually try to figure out what's wrong with you.
But at this point, I think I probably should go because it's getting kind of ridiculous.
I coughed so much that I dislocated a rib.
So I think it's getting to the point where I should probably go talk to a doctor.
Maybe I'll do that when I'm back in Korea. If I get a chance.
But that's my life. How are you guys doing?
That's the update on my exciting life. Yeah, and then today is my last night in Morioka.
So I'm just gonna spend it chillin' with Mark.
I'm so thankful that he wanted to hang out again and he offered to drive us around and his cool Audi.
So, I get to see a lots of the city.
And, yeah, I'm really excited about that. Don't know where we're gonna be going tonight once he's done his date.
Probably maybe out for some food if he didn't eat too much.
He said we could go and get some food cos I haven't had dinner yet.
And maybe just for like a drive of the city at night time.
It's pitch black out there now
So we can't really go to like Koiwai Farm or anything where I would have loved to take you guys.
But if you do want to watch some other videos of this area.
I'm gonna link my Tohoku road trip that I did a couple years back now
with Chris 'Abroad in Japan' and, Rachel and June.
It was a really fun road trip that the four of us did through northern Japan.
You might have missed it if you're new to my channel, or if you were never subscribed to my other Japan channel.
I do have another channel. I haven't updated in a while still deciding what to do with it.
But I do have another channel, which was my main channel for a while. And yeah, we had some really great northern Japan
road trip vlogs that we made. So I'm gonna link all those down below.
So if you guys are curious to learn more about northern Japan,
which I really encourage you to do because like I said in my interview today
It's my favorite area in Japan hands down and I've been all over Japan. Spent 12 years here.
I traveled all over the place and I can easily say that
Northern Japan and specifically Iwate will always be my favourite part of Japan.
It's beautiful here that people are so nice, so, um,
willing to help you if you have any problems so friendly.
I just really really love everything about here. I feel really comfortable.
It feels like my hometown, really. I feel super comfortable here.
Like you guys saw in my vlog today, it's gorgeous.
The mountains are so beautiful and it's just a really nice balance of City and nature.
I find it's the perfect size. Morioka is the sister city of my hometown, Victoria BC in Canada.
And I think they're pretty similar in size and like maybe even population.
That's how they become a sister city, they have similarities like that.
Um, so like maybe that's why I feel comfortable here.
But it's gorgeous you guys if you are interested visiting northern Japan and I had to
shoot off a couple places that I really recommend you going.
Ryusendo Caves, it's an underground cave very cool.
It's actually one of the first spots I ever went to in Japan when I was 16.
Still remember it, it's absolutely gorgeous.
Geibikei Gorge, that will be linked down below in my Northern Japan vlogs.
Breathtaking might even be able to say it's the most beautiful spot I've ever been to in Japan.
I think that's what I titled the video actually.
Koiwai Farm is really nice.
Yeah, it's just a huge open field. There's lots to do there.
Lots of fun things to do. Some farm animals to see. Lots of foods to eat there.
Just the view is gorgeous. Just going for the view alone is worth it.
If you like road trips I recommend doing the drive from Morioka to Miyako on the coast
during the fall when the leaves are changing color.
It's the most beautiful stretch of road I've ever seen.
So if you like road trips, rent a car do that. Go out and see the coast.
It's beautiful out there once you get to Miyako but just the drive itself is so much fun.
It's just like stunning views you guys.
I wish I had video to show you. I wasn't doing YouTube at the time when I did the trip myself.
But in the future I really really want to make that trip and share it with you guys
for those of you that won't make it down there yourself.
So yeah, those are probably just some of the spots off the top of my head
that I would recommend you visit in this area.
But please please consider coming to Northern Japan. If you do go to Japan.
Everyone goes to Tokyo or Kyoto or Osaka
but, it's so much better up here, you guys.
I don't even hesitate saying that. It's so much better up here just in all aspects.
So, please consider in northern Japan if you do come to Japan.