The Hitobito’s Megan and Ben uncover the real Japan, one video at a time

Before she ever set foot in Japan, Megan spent countless hours there — virtually. Growing up in Kansas in the early 2010s, she devoured YouTube videos by a wave of early J-vloggers such as Sharla in Japan, Kim Dao and Taylor R.

“If I saw ‘Japan’ in the title, I’m pretty sure I watched it,” she recalls. “The shopping at the grocery store, doing taxes — if it was about Japan, I was in.”

Now 27, Megan has become one of those creators herself — part of a new generation of content makers capturing everyday life in Japan for a global audience via her YouTube channel, The Hitobito.