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Ghib Ojisan

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Ghibli Ojisan
ジブおじさん
Personal information
Born (1990-03-15) 15 March 1990 (age 34)
NationalityJapanese
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2017–present
Genre
Traveling
Subscribers210,000 (Ghib Ojisan)
28,000 (The Lost Ojisan)
Total views57 million (Ghib Ojisan)
3 million (The Lost Ojisan)
100,000 subscribers 2019 (Ghib Ojisan)[‡ 1]
Updated 19 July 2021

Ghibli Ojisan (ジブおじさん; born 15 March 1990), known also as Ghib Ojisan or Ken, is a Japanese travel YouTuber based in Singapore.

Born in Osaka Prefecture in Japan, Ojisan lived in California between the ages of two and 19 as his parents worked in the state. After graduating from Keio University's Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, he had brief stints at a manufacturing company's personnel and sales departments. In 2017, he quit his job with the goal of traveling the world for a year on a budget of ¥1,000,000 (US$9,001). Ojisan visited 27 countries and busked with his acoustic guitar, videos of which he uploaded to a YouTube channel he created in 2017.

While making travel videos in Singapore, Ojisan met a Singaporean woman. He later married her, and they decided to live in Singapore. Ojisan made videos of his experiences living as a Japanese person in Singapore. He made a video about Yishun, which had media coverage indicating it was a dangerous place to live. His video received a large amount of media attention and led to a large increase in YouTube subscribers from outside Japan, which had until then been his primary audience. Ojisan speaks in Japanese and English in his videos and includes captions in both languages. He has made videos about hawker centres, the Sembawang Hot Spring Park, and the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Ojisan's YouTube channel was among the 10 channels with the highest increase in Singaporean subscribers.

Early life and career[edit]

Ghib Ojisan was born on 15 March 1990 in Osaka Prefecture in Japan.[1][‡ 2] Translated from Japanese to English, his name means "Uncle Ghib".[2] When he was a teenager, he really enjoyed the Japanese film Spirited Away and was inspired by Studio Ghibli's animations so chose Ghib Ojisan as his YouTube channel's name.[3] Ojisan goes by the name Ken.[2] As a fan of the Japanese rock group Bump of Chicken, Ojisan taught himself how to play the guitar using his brother's guitar.[3]

Ojisan lived in California between the ages of two and 19 until he finished high school owing to his parents' having jobs in the state.[1] In high school, he participated in soccer and tennis tryouts but did not make the sports teams.[3] His parents enrolled him in Japanese language school, which he begrudgingly attended once a week, allowing him to keep up his Japanese language skills.[3] Ojisan subsequently attended Keio University in Minato, Tokyo in Japan where he joined a brass band and studied at the university's Faculty of Environment and Information Studies.[3] Upon his college graduation, Ojisan worked in Japan at a manufacturer in the personnel department, an experience he did not like, so he transferred to a sales role.[1][3] He worked there until 2017 when he quit his job with the aim of traveling the world for a year on a budget of ¥1,000,000 (US$9,001).[1][3] Prior to completing his university studies, Ojisan had not gone traveling but became inspired to after reading the Kotaro Sawaki [ja] book Midnight Express [ja] about a man who went on bus trip from New Delhi to London.[3] During his one-year stint of backpacking visits to 27 countries, he did street performances with his guitar of video game, anime, and movie song covers and uploaded YouTube videos of those performances.[1][2] Through his guitar performances, he was able to cover over half of his travel costs.[3]

YouTube career[edit]

Ojisan makes YouTube videos in which he speaks in English and Japanese and includes subtitles in both languages. In addition to his guitar videos, he makes videos sharing his thoughts on Singaporean eateries and discussing where Japan and Singapore are different and the same.[4]

Uploaded in July 2017, Ojisan's first YouTube video featured him playing the Final Fantasy X theme song "To Zanarkand" on his acoustic guitar in Uzbekistan.[1] At the beginning of 2018, Ojisan returned to Japan and began uploading to YouTube the videos of his travels.[3] His videos received few views at the beginning but in June 2018, the number of views increased substantially and he was named a YouTube "Creator on the Rise".[1] In two weeks, his subscriber count grew from 100 to 20,000.[1] In December 2018, Ojisan visited Singapore to make travel videos. He met and married to a Singaporean woman in 2019 and decided to stay in the country.[1][3][5] He began working at a Singaporean company but resigned after half a year as he became concerned that he was uploading fewer YouTube videos.[3] He continued to upload videos of guitar covers and began producing content about Singapore.[1] When he transitioned to a channel centered on Singapore's sights and experiences, he initially received pushback from his subscribers who wanted him to post more guitar playing or travel content.[1] Ojisan initially posted videos in which he visited Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands, and Chinatown.[2] The videos received little attention.[2] After he adjusted the focus of his videos to what it is like to live in Singapore, his channel started doing better.[2]

Ojisan set a goal of making one video every other day.[2] Sengkang was the first place in which he showcased on YouTube the experience of living in Singapore.[2] The Sengkang video increased the number of views and comments by threefold.[2] His video about his Housing and Development Board flat caught the attention of his Japanese watchers, drawing numerous reactions from people wondering why the flat had a bomb shelter.[2] He next made a video about Yishun and hawker centres in which he used a combination of English, Singlish, and Japanese.[1][2] Ojisan had reviewed an article that described assaults of police officers with stun guns, murders, and cats being slaughtered, occurring in Yishun, which portrayed it a risky place to live in.[2] In Yishun, he visited a pasar malam which sold fried food and observed stray cats, temples, roast duck rice, and friendly locals.[6] He visited the Yishun MRT station, where he heard the vibrant sounds of cars, people, and pianos.[7] Ojisan observed 35 surveillance cameras that covered all of the station, which would make it challenging to violate the law without being seen.[7] Ojisan found a Yishun sign posted by the Singapore Police Force warning that 60 shoplifters had been caught and noted it was the only sign of any crime in the town.[7] Following an uneventful visit, he praised the town for being "home to nice people and cute cats".[2][8] The video received a large amount of attention online and a large number of people from Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States began watching his videos.[1] As he gained 2,000 subscribers from the video, his Japanese subscribers decreased to 30% of the total subscriber base.[1][2] Louis Ng and Lee Bee Wah, members of the Parliament of Singapore who were part of the Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency, responded positively to Ojisan's video.[2] In December 2019, he made a video titled "What did Japan do to Singapore?" about Sook Ching and the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II.[2][9] In January 2020, he filmed his visit to Sembawang Hot Spring Park where he attempted to cook an egg through the spring water.[10] In June 2020, he made a video in People's Park Centre in Chinatown of his getting a "Singapore-style haircut", which means "tightly-tapered sides and back and a neater top".[11] Relying on translations from his phone, he used Mandarin to communicate with the Vietnamese barber who had only basic English-speaking capability.[11]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Singapore implemented circuit breaker measures that banned people from meeting in public and at work.[12] Ojisan uploaded a video titled "Singapore Semi-Lockdown Diary Day 0" on April 7, 2020, depicting crowded supermarkets and customers following social distancing of 1 metre (3.3 ft).[12] Ojisan, who makes a living from the money generated from the ads YouTube runs on his videos, found a 30% to 40% decline in earnings in the several months before the circuit breaker measures.[12] He did not receive any COVID-19 relief funds from Singapore since he works for himself and is a foreign national.[12] Ojisan's YouTube channel was among the 10 channels that had the highest increase in Singaporean subscribers during the pandemic.[13][14] During the pandemic, he made a video of his checking up on the health of his Bangladeshi friend, a migrant worker in Singapore whom he had first encountered in 2019. The duo had previously visited a Paya Lebar bazaar and eaten sushi together.[15]

Ojisan created a second YouTube channel focused on food as he enjoys eating.[1] He started the website Nekkyo Singapore to share with Japanese readers what is like to visit or live in Singapore.[16]

Personal life[edit]

Ojisan travelled to Singapore to make travel videos and met a Singaporean woman. Despite Singapore being a relatively affluent place for a backpacking style of travel, he remained in the country for two months to be with her.[4] In 2019, Ojisan married the woman and they had two wedding ceremonies, one in Japan and one in Singapore.[4][5] The couple chose to remain in Singapore.[4] They lived with her parents for two years.[17] Around September 2020, Ojisan and his wife bought a previously owned Housing and Development Board flat with four bedrooms for about S$500,000 (US$362,319).[17][‡ 3] He began learning Mandarin Chinese with the assistance of his mother-in-law and Duolingo. He wanted to be able to converse with the Mandarin-speaking workers at the hawker centres who could not speak English, and he wanted to travel to China and Taiwan to produce videos.[18][‡ 4] In 2021, he applied for permanent residency in Singapore.[‡ 5]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 鈴木あかね (2020-06-23). "【アジアで会う】ジブおじさん　シンガポール在住ユーチューバー　第304回　動画で両国の架け橋に（シンガポール）" [[Meet in Asia] Uncle Ghib Ojisan, a YouTuber living in Singapore. 304th video, bridges the two countries (Singapore)]. NNA Japan (in 日本語). Kyodo News. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Awang, Nabilah (2019-12-21). "S'pore-based Japanese vlogger scores surprise hits with videos on Yishun, HDB flats". Today. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 小林亮子 (2020-07-30). "【J+PLUSインタビュー／現場読解】YouTuber ／ウェブサイト 「シンガポールと熱狂」編集長　Ghib Ojisan" [[J + PLUS Interview / Reading Comprehension] YouTuber / Editor-in-Chief of Website "Singapore and Enthusiasm" Ghib Ojisan]. J+PLUS (in 日本語). Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Chua, Sabrina (2020-06-25). "Popular Japanese YouTuber Ghib Ojisan Met & Married S'porean Girl While Doing Travel Vlog". Goody Feed. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 李妙音 (2020-11-24). "陈山聪姚子羚 从跑步体悟断舍离" [Joel Chan and Elaine Yiu: from running they realize they can get rid of things that are no longer needed]. Lianhe Zaobao (in 中文). Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  6. ↑ Sholihyn, Ilyas (2019-12-11). "Japanese YouTuber visits 'dangerous' Yishun, only to find it a 'nice cozy town'". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "狮城义顺很危险？ 日网红亲测很安全" [Is Yishun in Singapore very dangerous? A Japanese Internet celebrity tried it out in person and concluded it is safe.]. China Press (in 中文). 2019-12-13. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  8. ↑ Geddie, John (2020-10-29). Nicolaci da Costa, Ana, ed. "In safe Singapore's 'cursed' town, ghosts and odd happenings". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  9. ↑ Wong, Kayla (2019-12-15). "Japanese YouTuber makes video to explain to Japanese what Japan did to S'pore in WWII". Mothership. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  10. ↑ Sholihyn, Ilyas (2020-01-09). "Japanese vlogger calls Sembawang Hot Spring Park a 'legit onsen'". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Sholihyn, Ilyas (2020-06-12). "Japanese YouTuber tries getting a 'Singapore-style' haircut, says he now looks like an onigiri". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Imahashi, Rurika; Maulia, Erwida; Loh, Dylan; Bahree, Megha (2020-04-22). "'Government puts economy before life': Voices from the pandemic". The Nikkei. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  13. ↑ Youjin, Low (2020-12-01). "Covid-19: YouTube viewership in S'pore soars 30 per cent, with watchtime for fitness videos tripling". Today. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  14. ↑ "YouTube watch time in Singapore jumps more than 30% as more stay home during pandemic". CNA. 2020-12-02. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  15. ↑ Sholihyn, Ilyas (2020-04-15). "Japanese YouTuber checks in on his Bangladeshi friend quarantined in Singapore dormitory". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  16. ↑ Thet, Nyi Nyi (2019-12-11). "Japanese man explores 'S'pore's most dangerous area' a.k.a. Yishun, had quite a good time". Mothership. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Sholihyn, Ilyas (2020-09-23). "Japanese YouTuber Ghib Ojisan buys a 4-room flat in Singapore, the 'most expensive purchase' in his life". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  18. ↑ "Tuesday Report: Home Away From Home 星期二特写 : 飘洋过海来这里 EP2 | Japanese YouTubers Mike & Ken 日本籍新网红". Mediacorp. 2021-04-26. Event occurs at 13 minutes and 58 seconds. Archived from the original on 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2021-07-19 – via YouTube.

Self-published sources[edit]

In the text these self-published references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. ↑ Ojisan, Ghib (2020-01-22). "100,000 Subscribers | Experiencing Heaven and Hell". Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29 – via YouTube. On November 2019, I reached 100k subscribers on YouTube. In this video, I unboxed my silver award and talked about why I started uploading and the difficulties I faced on my YouTube career.
  2. ↑ Ojisan, Ghib [@ghibli_ojisan] (2018-03-15). "今日はついにALのライブ！ 誕生日だからHAPPY BIRTHDAY聴けるの楽しみにしてます！" [AL live at last today! I'm looking forward to listening to HAPPY BIRTHDAY because it's my birthday!] (Tweet) (in 日本語). Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29 – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ Ojisan, Ghib (2020-12-16). "Our New HDB - Shocking Home Ritual & 1st Door Opening 😱". Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29 – via YouTube.
  4. ↑ Ojisan, Ghib (2021-06-14). "SPEAKING ONLY CHINESE To My Wife & In-laws For 24HRS". Archived from the original on 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2021-07-19 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Ojisan, Ghib (2021-07-10). "I'm Applying for PR". Archived from the original on 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2021-07-19 – via YouTube. After living in Singapore for 2.5 years, I finally decided to apply for PR. What are the cons and pros of becoming a permanent resident?

External links[edit]


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