Over the course of two years, I traveled to 112 countries, stayed with 150 host families, and visited karate dojos in 74 countries.
My travels went far beyond sightseeing. I lived with local families and connected with people from all walks of life through karate.
Here, I share the people I met, the cultures I experienced, the host families I stayed with, and my experiences at karate dojos, country by country.
| 1.Taiwan (JP) (EN) | My First Solo Trip · Music Friends · Karate Dojos Abroad |
| 2.Philippines (JP) (EN) | Zoom Colleagues · Music Exchange · Meeting for the First Time After Four Years |
| 3.Thailand (JP) (EN) | The Start of a Two-Year Journey · Muay Thai · An International Karate Dojo |
| 4.Laos (JP) (EN) | Slow Boat · Kickboxing · A Birthday on the Road |
| 5.Vietnam (JP) (EN) | North to South · Vietnamese Cuisine · Kickboxing |
| 6.Cambodia (JP) (EN) | Discovering What Moves Me · The Killing Fields · Intense Kickboxing |
| 7.Malaysia (JP) (EN) | Multicultural Society · Amazing Curry · Training with a Russian Karate Master |
| 8.Singapore (JP) (EN) | Sky-High Prices · A Japanese-Style Karate Dojo · Living Like Ryu |
| 9.Indonesia (JP) (EN) | A Card Issue · Connecting with Locals · Sparring with a National Champion |
| 10.Australia (JP) (EN) | The Language Barrier · Kindness at a Hostel · Life in Melbourne |
| 11.New Zealand (JP) (EN) | My First Hike · Breathtaking Views · A Hungarian Karate Master |
| 12.Mexico (JP) (EN) | My First Homestay · A Turning Point · Connecting with Saudis |
| 13.Guatemala (JP) (EN) | Lost Camera · Christmas with a Local Family · Sushi Party |
| 14.El Salvador (JP) (EN) | The Reality of Homestay · Boxing Exchange · The Warmth of the Local People |
| 15.Honduras (JP) (EN) | Unexpected Peace · Life with a Local Family · My First Horse Ride |
| 16.Nicaragua (JP) (EN) | A City of Horses · Historic Streets · Meeting a Japanese Traveler |
| 17.Costa Rica (JP) (EN) | High Prices · A Heartwarming Homestay · Sharing Japanese Food |
| 18.Panama (JP) (EN) | Skyscrapers & Nightlife · Karate Exchange · The Warmth of the Students |
| 19.Colombia (JP) (EN) | Six Homestays · A Night at the Dojo · The Vastness of South America |
| 20.Ecuador (JP) (EN) | Traveling During an Emergency · Reuniting with a Japanese Traveler · Karate Training in the Rain |
| 21.Peru (JP) (EN) | Food, Adventures & Mishaps · A Homestay Gone Wrong · Long Journeys Across South America |
| 22.Bolivia (JP) (EN) | Salar de Uyuni · An Anime-Obsessed Host · An Intense Karate Exchange |
| 23.Paraguay (JP) (EN) | Asunción · A Quiet Storyteller · A Women-Dominated Karate Dojo |
| 24.Brazil (JP) (EN) | A Dangerous City · Authentic Churrasco · Connecting with Japanese-Brazilian Karateka |
| 25.Argentina (JP) (EN) | Meat & Pizza · A Japanese-Brazilian Host · A Legacy of Martial Arts Spirit |
| 26.Uruguay (JP) (EN) | Montevideo’s Beaches · A Heartwarming Homestay · A Karate Master Trained in Japan |
| 27.Chile (JP) (EN) | The Tension of the Night · A Mysterious Woman · A Student Champion |
| 28.United Kingdom (JP) (EN) | London Streets · A Multicultural Homestay · My First European Karate Dojo |
| 29.Ireland (JP) (EN) | Protests · An Italian Host · A Freezing Underground Dojo |
| 30.Portugal (JP) (EN) | Porto · A Multicultural Homestay · A Large Karate Dojo |
| 31.Spain (JP) (EN) | Historic Blackout · Madrid · A Uruguayan Karate Master |
| 32.Italy (JP) (EN) | Authentic Neapolitan Pizza · Gastronomy · A British Host |
| 33.Switzerland (JP) (EN) | Geneva · High Prices · Intense Training |
| 34.France (JP) (EN) | Lyon · Reuniting with Music Friends · Paris |
| 35.Luxembourg (JP) (EN) | Luxembourg · Multicultural Karate · A Small Thing Left Behind |
| 36.Germany (JP) (EN) | Little Tokyo in Düsseldorf · A Japan-Loving Host |
| 37.Belgium (JP) (EN) | Belgian Waffles · A Lost Card · A Martial Arts Gym |
| 38.Netherlands (JP) (EN) | Amsterdam · A Fateful Encounter · A Former European Karate Champion |
| 39.Denmark (JP) (EN) | A Storybook City · The Language Barrier · A Connection to Japan |
| 40.Norway (JP) (EN) | Oslo · Connecting Through Food · A Student Karate Champion at the Dojo |
| 41.Sweden (JP) (EN) | Stockholm · IKEA · My First Hitchhiking Experience |
| 42.Finland (JP) (EN) | Midnight Sun · Diversity · Gender-Neutral Restrooms |
| 43.Estonia (JP) (EN) | Luxury Ferry · Reuniting with Music Friends · A Host Battling Illness |
| 44.Latvia (JP) (EN) | A Kind Host · A Master Who Trained in Kagawa · A European Champion |
| 45.Lithuania (JP) (EN) | Supporting Ukraine · A Father Fighting on the Front Lines · A Karate Powerhouse |
| 46.Poland (JP) (EN) | Pride in History · A Homestay Tradition · A Karate Hub Outside the Capital |
| 47.Czechia (JP) (EN) | Former Steelworks · A Host Who Knows Takamatsu · Beer Culture |
| 48.Austria (JP) (EN) | City of Art · A Ukrainian Host · Teaching Karate |
| 49.Slovakia (JP) (EN) | The Blue Church · Some Time Alone · Training with an MMA Fighter |
| 50.Hungary (JP) (EN) | Danube Night Views · Home-Cooked Meals · A World Championship Team Member |
| 51.Slovenia (JP) (EN) | My First International Karate Camp · 48 Hours Together · Traditional Cuisine |
| 52.Croatia (JP) (EN) | The Heat · A Cashless Society · A House Party with People in Their 20s |
| 53.Serbia (JP) (EN) | Belgrade · Daily Protests · A Warm Karate Exchange |
| 54.Bosnia and Herzegovina (JP) (EN) | Sarajevo · Where East Meets West · Cross-Cultural Exchange |
| 55.Montenegro (JP) (EN) | Border Checks · Getting Stuck · Podgorica |
| 56.Albania (JP) (EN) | Feeling Unwell · Cheap Fruit · Meeting a Japanese Traveler |
| 57.Kosovo (JP) (EN) | International Event · Compact City · Beggars |
| 58.North Macedonia (JP) (EN) | Skopje · A City of Statues · An Anxious Bus Ride |
| 59.Greece (JP) (EN) | Thessaloniki · A Young Host Learning Japanese · Recuperation |
| 60.Bulgaria (JP) (EN) | Yogurt Culture · A Multicultural Homestay · A Karate Dojo with Little Interaction |
| 61.Romania (JP) (EN) | A Single Mother of Five · Naruto · A Karate Dojo During the Summer Break |
| 62.Moldova (JP) (EN) | Soviet-Era Streets · A Woman Who Never Stops Learning · A Large-Scale Karate Training Session |
| 63.Türkiye (JP) (EN) | Inflation · A Difficult Host Match · A Family Believing in a Brighter Future |
| 64.Azerbaijan (JP) (EN) | A Local Japanese School · A Hearty Feast · A Karate Master Well-Versed in Japanese Culture |
| 65.Armenia (JP) (EN) | Syrian Host · Life with Two Cats · Teriyaki Chicken |
| 66.Georgia (JP) (EN) | Low Prices · Smoky Tbilisi · A Hostel Mishap |
| 67.Uzbekistan (JP) (EN) | A Fruit Paradise · Four Host Families · Cultural Differences with Muslims |
| 68.Tajikistan (JP) (EN) | A Local Who Paid My Bus Fare · Afghan Cuisine · Crossing the Border by Sleeper Train |
| 69.Kyrgyzstan (JP) (EN) | A Birthday in Bishkek · A Young Female Instructor · Dinner in a Yurt |
| 70.Kazakhstan (JP) (EN) | Cheap Apples · A Horse Meat Culture · Homestays with Two Local Families |
| 71.South Korea (JP) (EN) | Rediscovering Myself After 70+ Countries · My Third Visit to Korea · 3+ Hours of Karate Training |
| -Japan- (JP) (EN) | Around-the-World Journey Complete · Two-Week Trip Back Home · Media Appearances |
| 72.China (JP) (EN) | Information Controls · A Troublesome QR Payment · A Karate Master Straight Out of the Three Kingdoms |
| 73.Hong Kong (JP) (EN) | Rising Prices · A One-Night Homestay · Karate Legends |
| 74.Nepal (JP) (EN) | Spicy Cuisine · A Host from a Five-Star Hotel · A World Championship Coach |
| 75.Bangladesh (JP) (EN) | Unexpected Air Pollution · Three Rickshaw Collisions · The Kindness of the People |
| 76.India (JP) (EN) | Cows in the Streets · A National Champion · My First Feature in the Local Media |
| 77.Sri Lanka (JP) (EN) | Homestay with a Monk · A Meditation Experience · Free Training with a Karate Master |
| 78.United Arab Emirates (JP) (EN) | An International Host · A Car-Centric Society · An Unexpected Welcome |
| 79.Oman (JP) (EN) | Camping in Muscat · A Thief · A Current National Team Coach |
| 80.Qatar (JP) (EN) | Watching Football · Karate Training with Four · Camels in Doha |
| 81.Bahrain (JP) (EN) | Empty Buildings · A Host Fascinated by Japan · Escaping a Bathroom |
| 82.Kuwait (JP) (EN) | Strict Immigration Checks · A Warm Welcome from a Karate Master · Home-Cooked Egyptian Food |
| 83.Jordan (JP) (EN) | Floating in the Dead Sea · A Message Entrusted to Me · Shawarma |
| 84.Israel & Palestine (JP) (EN) | Missile Strike Site · Israeli Perspectives · Female Soldiers |
| 85.Cyprus (JP) (EN) | Year-End in Larnaca · A Year-End Water Outage · A Gentlemanly Host |
| 86.Egypt (JP) (EN) | A Quiet New Year · A Martial Arts–Loving Master · A Dirt-Cheap Hostel in Cairo |
| 87.Ethiopia (JP) (EN) | Helper Culture · Stomach Trouble · Ethiopian Coffee |
| 88.Kenya (JP) (EN) | Safari · Visiting a Maasai Village · A Karate Instructor from a Slum |
| 89.Uganda (JP) (EN) | A Boarding School · The Vibrant Energy of Kampala · A Dojo Built by a Japanese Martial Artist |
| 90.Rwanda (JP) (EN) | Daily Power Outages · Orderly Kigali · A Young Karate Instructor |
| 91.Tanzania (JP) (EN) | A Long-Distance Bus Ride · Finding a Local Hostel · Cheap Local Food |
| 92.Malawi (JP) (EN) | High Transportation Costs · Japanese High School Students’ Bicycles · Lilongwe |
| 93.Zambia (JP) (EN) | A Post-Karate Party · A Master Who Trained in Hokkaido · Cooking a Live Chicken |
| 94.Zimbabwe (JP) (EN) | A Former Kyokushin World Champion · An 11-Member Family · Old Zimbabwean Banknotes |
| 95.Botswana (JP) (EN) | Chobe National Park · Wild Giraffes · Kasane |
| 96.Namibia (JP) (EN) | A Quiet Night in Windhoek · A Chance Encounter on the Bus · Karate with 50 People |
| 97.Eswatini (JP) (EN) | My First Paid Homestay · A Karate Student Who Gave Me a Ride |
| 98.Mozambique (JP) (EN) | Trouble at the Border · A Bakery Worth Queuing for at Dawn · Maputo’s Bus System |
| 99.South Africa (JP) (EN) | Deserted Johannesburg at Night · Inequality · Reliable Infrastructure |
| 100.Nigeria (JP) (EN) | Everyday Power Outages · Spicy Food · The Sweltering Heat of Lagos |
| 101.Benin (JP) (EN) | The Secondhand Shoe Market · My First Experience with Traditional Karate · The Amazons of Benin |
| 102.Togo (JP) (EN) | A Former Karate Practitioner as My Host · The Streets of Lomé · Bowling in Africa |
| 103.Côte d’Ivoire (JP) (EN) | Cross-Cultural Exchange with My Host Family · Karate Training in a Storm · Abidjan |
| 104.Liberia (JP) (EN) | A Homestay with a Family of 14 · Monrovia · Trouble at the Border |
| 105.Sierra Leone (JP) (EN) | Long Power Outages · Outdoor Karate Training · Freetown |
| 106.Guinea (JP) (EN) | Cash Shortages · Life in Conakry · From a First Karate Experience to Joining the Dojo |
| 107.Guinea-Bissau (JP) (EN) | Wedding Traditions · The Portuguese Language Barrier · A Polygamous Family |
| 108.Gambia (JP) (EN) | A Country Full of Foreigners · The Ferry from Banjul · A Lebanese Couple as Hosts |
| 109.Senegal (JP) (EN) | Passion for Football · Life Lessons from a Long Stay · A Foot Infection |
| 110.Morocco (JP) (EN) | The Red City of Marrakech · Sweet Tea · Mexican Workers |
| 111.United States of America (JP) (EN) | High Prices · A Reunion · A Japanese Karate Master in Los Angeles |
| 112.Canada (JP) (EN) | Memories from 13 Years Ago · Vancouver: Then and Now |