In the section “Account of the week” we talk about the telegram channel “Wren about Japan for a tourist” by journalist Konstantin Govorun, where he shows the beauty, inventions and elements of Japanese cuisine, debunks myths about it. For the third year, the country has been closed to tourists due to COVID restrictions, and given Japan’s position on special operations and its sanctions against Russia, it is unlikely that you will visit it in the near future. Thanks to Govorun’s telegram channel, you can go on a virtual sightseeing tour in Japan.

Who

Konstantin Govorun (whose nickname is Wren) is the former editor-in-chief of the video game magazine Strana Igry, director of PR for Nintendo in Russia, and president of the games site IGN Russia. Now he’s into travel blogs: Before the COVID restrictions, he traditionally traveled to Japan twice a year and talked about it at various venues. “How many times have you been to Japan?” The speaker prefers to answer: “more than 20.” He lost his count a long time ago.

The journalist fell in love with the country thanks to computer games and anime, and his first trip to Japan was at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show. At first he only came to the game festival, but gradually he began to immerse himself in Japanese culture. Constantine describes his first vivid impression:

Now, with the same inspiration, she informs her subscribers in the telegram about the most unusual places, attractions and routes in Japan that are not so many. True, in 2020 and 2021, the journalist could not go to his beloved country for the first time in 15 years. “I don’t have the courage and hope to run to a great country right after the borders open,” he writes.

Konstantin Govorun

About what

Konstantin Govorun says about the channel:

He started a Telegram channel in 2017 and before that he posted brief information about Japan on Twitter. Now the number of subscribers has exceeded 37 thousand. On the channel you can read “traveller’s notes” about funny inventions, the most unusual places and elements of the national cuisine of Japan. So, “Wren” describes the secret garden in the Saihoji temple, the sushi-shaped pillows, the earthquakes, and of course the Akita Inu, the most famous Japanese dog breed. Govorun also influences the love of country and debunks legends.

For whom

If you want to immerse yourself in Japanese culture, take a trip (albeit virtual) to remote corners of the country, gaze at cherry blossoms, and learn what to order at a Japanese restaurant about Wren, Japan for a tourist is for you. . The channel also includes a chat where participants share their experiences and communicate with the author.