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Having produced over 100 episodes of the Abroad in Japan Podcast together with Chris since 2018, and travelled Japan more extensively than most (across 10+ trips), Pete is a Japanophile and top London Radio DJ rolled into one.

Pete's Story

@petedonaldson

Having risen to power first as a radio DJ on hugely popular radio stations XFM and Absolute Radio, Pete Donaldson’s real passion lies in Podcasting, where he can sink his teeth into topics as diverse as football, wrestling and Japan. As the co-host of one of the world’s biggest soccer podcasts “The Football Ramble”, when he’s not immersed in the world of football, he’s sneaking off to Japan to quench his thirst for Coolish ice cream. With an obsession with retro video games and electronics from the 80’s, it’s no surprise he’s been drawn to Japan over and over in the last decade, each time becoming incrementally more fluent in the Japanese language. Chris and Pete first met in London in 2017, while Chris and Natsuki were filming “Natsuki: The Movie”. As an Abroad in Japan viewer, Pete had heard they were in town, and whipped them into Absolute Radio for a spontaneous interview that went on to feature in the film. Several months later on a trip to Japan, Pete met up with Chris in Tohoku and together they went on a road trip. Three days and one speeding fine later, the two had outlined their plans for the Abroad in Japan Podcast which launched in February 2018. Since then Chris and Pete have travelled across Japan together by bicycle through Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, frozen to death at the Sapporo Snow Festival and even been seaweed fishing at 5am on Japan’s Pacific coastline. 
 With a monthly audience of over 300,000 listeners, today the Abroad in Japan Podcast is the largest podcast on all things Japan and since 2018 the two have yet to miss a single week, such is their dedication to the cause. Be sure to drop by every Thursday to hear a news roundup of what’s going on in Japan, and to hear Chris and Pete talk about their obsessions with Family Mart Fried Chicken and Coolish respectively.
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Pete's Soundboard

Metaphors

   

I Live Here Now

   

Why!!

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I Don't Pay Attention

   

Not Enough Coolish

   

Ohayo Gozaimasu

   

Fiddlesticksy Awful

   

I'm in Akihabara

   

I Miss You

   

Betto Betto San

   

Upset Your Brain

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Arigatou COWZAIMASU

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Touch the Cockleaver

   

Argh! (Scary growl)

   

Slip it in My Mouth

   

I Beg Your Pardon

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She Licked the Wall

   

Never Kick People

   

Terrifying Laugh

   

My Fault!

   

Bastard!

   

Nani Kore!

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Have a Coolish

   

Marmaduke

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Can I eat it?

   

American National Anthem

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I Want to go to Bed Now

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Son Who Was an Envelope

   

You're the Real Monster

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Shibuya

   

Shinagawa

   

Akihabara

   

Featured Content

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Youtube

48 Hours at Japan's Biggest Snow Festival

Sapporo snow festival is one of Japan's most popular annual events, but does it live up to the hype? We spent 48 hours in the city, eating, drinking and getting serenaded by random people....

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Youtube

I Tasted Kobe Beef for the First Time | A5 Japanese Wagyu

We taste A5 Kobe Beef (A5), the highest grade of beef in Japan and have our taste buds ignited. What better way to spend our time in Kobe of Day 18 of Journey Across Japan (and send off Pete)....

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Youtube

24 Hours in Osaka | 6 Things to do in Japan's Nightlife Capital

Osaka is Japan's nightlife capital; a vibrant city home to amazing food and people. On Day 17 of Journey Across Japan we spend a night out taking in the city! Leave us a LIKE if you enjoyed joining our night out!...

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Youtube

24 Hours in Kyoto | Japan's Best Monkey Park

Kyoto Monkey Park is loved by all. We make our way through it and uncover the mysterious monster street on Day 16 of Journey Across Japan with Pete Donaldson....

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Youtube

I Got Lost in Kyoto with only a Paper Map

Kyoto is difficult to navigate with Google Maps, let alone using a paper map. On Day 15 of Journey Across Japan we get lost in Kyoto....

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Youtube

Natsuki: The Movie (Life in Japan Documentary)

Burnt out and suffering from a mid life crisis, the eccentric Natsuki decides to take an emergency one-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe. Surprisingly, not everything goes according to plan....

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Podcast

Does Chris Want To Leave Japan At Last?

Climb aboard the baseball train, team awesome! [email protected] for all your ticketing needs....

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Podcast

The Osaka Locals Who Spent $500 Treating Foreign Tourists

Just make sure you finish your onigiri first, so that the bugs don't get it. [email protected] for all your messages of support and drawings of us being thrown into fiery pits!...

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Podcast

China Bans Japanese Seafood As Fukushima Releases Water

Pete and Chris will return, filled to the gills with radioactive content shortly - in the meantime [email protected] - send in your messages or links you'd like us to look at!...

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Podcast

Hunting for Pokemon in Japan - is it actually fun?

Lids, and the people who hunt them down!...

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Podcast

Is the world’s most deadly fish worth eating?

Fugu - it's what's for dinner!...

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Podcast

The Japanese City Pressuring Pregnant Women

It's a man's world. That's why it's frequently unfettered sh*te. ...

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Podcast

Why I AVOID Eating 7-Eleven Onigiri Rice Balls

Extra value crunch! Pete and Chris are reunited in Stak studios and drink some exceedingly expensive Starbucks....

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Podcast

Why Travelling Japan without Cash is about to Get More Complicated

On Wednesday, Pete and Chris will be reunited, broadcasting from the SAME ROOM! Will Pete manage to order a couple of Starbucks coffees correctly? No, no he will not....

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Podcast

Why Not to Leave Food Uneaten in a Japanese Ramen Shop

Waste not, want not! Pete and Chris will return on Sunday for another slice of Japan, but in the meantime you can head over to watch this stuff in video form, baby!...

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Podcast

Tourist Tarnishes 1,000 Year Japanese Temple with Tacky Cat Drawing

What's wrong with some good old-fashioned doodlin'?...

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Podcast

'Barbenheimer' Backlash in Nuclear-Scarred Japan as Warner Bros Apologises

And if you'd like to see this show in video form - subscribe to our brand new AIJ Podcast Youtube channel...

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Podcast

How to Get the Yakuza's Business Cards while Travelling Japan

Head on over to www.youtube.com/ to check out the podcast in video form!...

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Podcast

Did Chris & Natsuki Survive the 3,776m Climb up Mount Fuji?

Oxygen and ciggies. It's what this proud nation was built upon. ...

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Podcast

Chris and Natsuki Have Set Off to Climb Mount Fuji! (3776m)

Hide his ciggys. It's the only way Natsuki's going to make it up there!...

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Podcast

Why Oppenheimer Isn't Being Released in Japan (Yet)

Chris 'Barbie' Broad and Donaldson 'Oppo' Petester will be back on Sunday for more AIJ FUN!...

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Podcast

Teenage Tourist Carves name into 1,200 year-old temple in Japan

Come on, it's hardly a 1,300 year-old temple in Japan. Now those things are PRECIOUS....

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Podcast

The Bizarre Region in Japan Where Dolphins, Squids & Monkeys Attack Humans!

The Abroad In Japan Breastfeeding SPECTACULAR!...

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Podcast

How to Lose $4,600 in a Tokyo Bar: Scams in Japan!

They finally got someone bang to rights! Well done that sleepy, empty-walleted man!...

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Podcast

A Ghost in Japan: Are the Japanese Superstitious?

And the boys will return on Sunday, Chris's lumbar in pieces after a week of moving metal around!...

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Podcast

Okinawa's Seas Turned Blood Red...BUT WHY?

[email protected] for all your messages...but we'll be back on Wednesday night UK time for more fun and games and probably more than a little industrial ocean tampering....

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Podcast

Japan to Release 1 Million Tons of Fukushima Radioactive Water into the Pacific

...for a laugh. Pete and Chris will be back in the former's car for more amazing stories from the other side of the world on Sunday night! Join us......

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Podcast

Japan Raises Age of Sexual Consent from 13 to 16

Yeesh! Apologies if Petey sounds a little robotic in this one - last show before mic quality goes back to normal!...