Kanpai Planet: The First Five Years

A new documentary charts the journey of Kanpai Planet from inception to NOW. Mac, Founder and Lead Guide of Maction Planet and Creator of Kanpai Planet

Back in March 2020, when Japan’s borders slammed shut and tourism stopped, I found myself with time I didn’t know what to do with. No tours, no guests, no timeline for when things would restart.

I start online cooking classes, freelance writing, travel consulting, ramping up the Maction Planet YouTube channel….anything to stay connected and stay sane. 

Tokyo Taste Test, and a 12-week YouTube challenge I set myself, laid the seeds for what you eventually become Kanpai Planet – my Japan drinks content platform.

The first video was released on 9 February 2021 – a review of the Foo Fighters’ sake. What started as nervous recordings in my apartment has turned into cask selections, bottles with my name on them, and interviews with people I used to just read about.

I’ve just released a 23-minute documentary covering the first five years. From that locked-down Tokyo apartment to where we are today.

It’s a look back at how the channel grew from those early days – the stumbles, the serendipity and the moments that changed everything: Ghost Series collaborations, sake brewing on Sado Island and world exclusives.

The channel’s stayed independent the whole way through. Every opinion is unbiased and completely my own, and the community that formed around it has been something else. People are planning trips around the world based on videos they loved. Collaborations with creators I used to just read or watch. That part wasn’t something I built alone.

Five years ago, in a locked-down Tokyo apartment, I hit record with no plan, no audience, and no idea if anyone would care. From that…to over 8800 YouTube subscribers, 40000 watch hours and 500000 views. 85 long-form videos. 14 shorts. One community.

Kanpai Planet has become a place to explore the world of Japan’s drinks, documenting stories as they unfold. Not just whisky or sake, but shochu, gin, vodka, energy drinks, even Kit Kats and much more.

If you’ve followed along with either Maction Planet or Kanpai Planet over the years, there are moments in here you’ll recognise. If you’re new to Kanpai Planet, well, now you know what I’ve been up to when I’m not guiding tours!

Five years down. Much more to come.

Until next time, We continue… Kanpai.

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Watch Kanpai Planet on YouTube and follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn