I want to be able to make effective YouTube videos, so I’m trying out different styles and also introducing different aspects of life in the mountains of north Japan.

At the moment, I’m making a video about a recent trip to Gassan Tsutaya, a Ryokan traditional inn here in Yamagata that we went to last week. I’m not one for the typical Ryokan videos or typical sightseeing videos that are very common. For starters, I can’t multitask like they can, shooting video and commenting at the same time. And my videography skills aren’t really there yet, which is something I thought I’d work on with this video.

I’ve decided that I’ll do a sort of voice over thing, I quite enjoy writing about places and I have written about this spot before, so I’ll probably adjust that to video. The aim is to have a narrative that is engrossing and informative, and that makes people want to visit the area.

Meeting new people is definitely one of the best parts of travel, and is one part I sorely miss, so this time around I did a bit of an interview with the owner of Gassan Tsutaya, who happens to be a Yamabushi friend of mine. The issue or contention then becomes how to incorporate the interview, but I’m going to try a few things.

Who knows? This may develop into a series or something, if I can prove my concept that is. I would need a little bit more practice to be able to do that, which I am also looking forward to trying.