JOURNEY Across Japan: Escape to Fuji | DAY 1 - The Horror. (Patreon)

Bloody hell. If today had been an episode on the original series of Journey Across Japan, it would easily have been one of the most eventful.

So after weeks of waiting and two years of much need recovery time from the last series, the all-new series of Journey Across Japan is finally under way!

I don't want to spoil the episodes, but over the coming week as our journey takes us 1,500km through the Japanese Alps and ultimately in search of Mount Fuji, I'll be sharing a diary of events here on Patreon through behind the scenes photos and clips.

*SPOILERS WITHIN*

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DAY ONE: Tokyo to Nagano

The journey kicked off at 7am from Shibuya, Tokyo where I drove - bleary eyed - to meet Joey in Saitama (greater Tokyo area). From there we received our first challenge from our beloved Anpanman, sent in by a viewer. (We had 5,000 challenges submitted this week alone!).

The challenge was to shoot a horror film, which to be honest was a pretty bold opening challenge.

Nevertheless, while in Gunma prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo, we popped out Google maps and found an abandoned quarry that looked like a lost alien city combined with a scene out of Indiana Jones. 

While wandering through the labyrinth of the forgotten quarry, we were able to film some scenes and taste test Fish and Chip Pringles ("London Flavour" - genuinely), before dashing off to meet Natsuki at Takasaki, about an hours drive from the quarry.

Natsuki was initially utterly furious that we were 2 hours late to meet him; but once we gave him the Fish and Chip Pringles, he gave us BIG smiles.

- It was like a magic.

En route to our hotel in Nagano, whilst taking a cigarette break in the middle of nowhere (one of many), Natsuki inadvertently stumbled across a run down abandoned building.

It certainly picqued our interest.

As we dashed in and escaped the heavy rain, we found ourselves in what seemed to be an abandoned hotel; filled with bats, mice and despair.

Honestly, it was one of the creepiest buildings I've ever set foot in.

As we went deeper into the hotel, we realised it was a love hotel that had been closed and left in complete disrepair.

The rooms were destroyed and littered and creepy drawings were scribbled on the walls. We were all pretty freaked out by the discoveries within and I think we were all a bit shocked by how obscenely surreal it all was.

Suffice to say, we got our damn horror film - and it turned out to be non-fiction!

Honestly, it really was an incredible start to the series and set the bar pretty high for upcoming days on our journey!

I'll be back tomorrow for Day Two as Joey, Natsuki and I travel from Nagano to Toyama prefecture.  I look forward to filling you in on what happens on the next chapter of our adventure.

God only knows what we'll stumble across on Natsuki's next cigarette break...

Chris