Manpuku Kurachan Foodie YouTube
Need help deciding where to eat? Visit #ManpukuKura-chan, a local YouTube channel dedicated to showing off local eateries. The host, Kura-chan, eats his way across Hatsukaichi, filling his steadily growing belly with the best the city has to eat.
“Manpuku” means something like “Oh, I’m fulli” in Japanese. It’s often repeated for emphasis, and in the japanese mind it evokes the image of a man so full and satisfied that he is patting his swollen belly. Ryoichi Kuramoto (Kura-chan), the general manager of FM Hatsukaichi, plays to this comic image with his oversized tie, the strained buttons on his shirt and his seemingly pained expressions of sheer delight while eating.
Watch him slurp down udon at Maruchu, a local mom and pop shop. See him shake and bounce with pleasure while downing a beer, a bowl of stewed beef tendons, and deep fried oysters at Omotenashi Hostel. Listen to him exclaim, “UMAI!” (YUM!*) like an anime character when he eats a bean paste sandwich from Katsutani Kashi Pan Ho. And at the same time, you can get a feel for the portion size and quality of the food as well as the atmosphere of the places he visits.
The videos are in Japanese, but English subtitles are available. Tap the “CC” button to access the English subtitles. If that doesn’t work, click the cog icon at the corner of the screen to open up the settings panel and then check for the English subtitles option. If that option is not there, click “auto-translate.”