A man walked across Japan for 256 days, then fell in love with an adorable Shiba Inu

Even before his super cute dog entered the picture, Kantaro Inagaki was already an impressive man.

For 256 days, the Japanese digital content creator had been trekking all over his home country, visiting far-flung places on foot, and creating daily vlogs on his YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. It’s all a part of his series, “Walking Tour of Japan.” Although relatively small compared to neighboring China, Japan can still be tricky to get around with its four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—plus thousands of smaller islands. All of that adds up to a grand total of 145,883 square miles (to put that into perspective even more, that’s about 10,000 square miles smaller than California!). With all that ground to cover, voyaging the East Asian archipelago can’t be easy, but it’s obvious the journey brings a smile to Kantaro's face.

Kantaro and San-Chan celebrate one million followersCredit: Kantaro Inagaki (@kantaro_japanwalker on Instagram, @kantaro_japanwalker_ on TikTok) Used with permission.

During an exclusive interview with Upworthy, Kantaro explained what brought him on this adventure:

“I studied overseas twice and attended a university focused on foreign languages, where I made many international friends. I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the world, but at some point, I realized that I didn’t know my own country, Japan, as well as I should,” he writes over email. “The idea of walking across Japan started as a simple thought, but when it came to me, I felt an overwhelming excitement deep in my heart. I’ve always valued following my instincts, so I decided to embark on this journey and see Japan in a way I never had before.”

In a YouTube vlog from September 25, 2024, Kantaro shares moments from his walking trip in Okinawa (though, technically he doesn’t walk the entire way—Okinawa is a beautiful island prefecture in southern Japan, so at least part of his journey there took place on a boat.) “After seeing the beautiful ocean and breathtaking sunset, I’m already completely captivated by Okinawa after just one day,” he writes in the video’s caption. “The stunning nature and hidden gems of Japan’s southernmost islands truly live up to their reputation. Walking around Japan has led me to incredible places, and Okinawa is already one of my favorites.”

From Kantaro's YouTubeCredit: Kantaro Inagaki (@kantaro_japanwalker on Instagram, @kantaro_japanwalker_ on TikTok) Used with permission.

Throughout the videos, Kantaro always has such a wonderful smile on his face. Despite carrying his camping gear nearly everywhere, he approaches the world with a genuine curiosity we don’t see much of anymore. Kantaro occasionally makes plans to stay with someone, but he lives such a true nomad life that he often sleeps under the stars—a particularly brave challenge, considering Japan’s temperatures during the winter can drop down to 30°F. When plans are derailed indoors or outdoors, he’s more than happy to course-correct. Spontaneous moments are met with joy and his smile is infectious.

Today, Kantaro is mostly focused on creating TikToks, Instagram Reels, and other short-form content, but he tells Upworthy, “starting in February, I plan on [focusing] more on horizontal-format videos.”

Oh, and now, he has a new travel buddy:

Kantaro and San-Chan hiking through JapanCredit: Kantaro Inagaki (@kantaro_japanwalker on Instagram, @kantaro_japanwalker_ on TikTok) Used with permission.

Meet San-Chan, a lovely Shiba Inu puppy that Kantaro adopted at the end of 2024. At the time, she was only one-month old and was unable to walk long distances, so Kantaro had to get creative, carrying her around in various adorable ways: zipped up in his jacket, snuggled in a sling, rested in an arm sleeve. “This is Day 1 of walking around Japan with [a] Shiba,” says Kantaro, gleefully, in a video. “It’s actually Day 257 of my walk around Japan but today I got a travel buddy.” He holds San-Chan up. “I happened to come across her a few days ago and decided to adopt her, so I am officially walking around Japan with her. She’s only one-month old. So, she cannot walk with me right now. But one day, someday, we’ll be walking around Japan side-by-side."

San-Chan is clearly the internet’s new favorite pup, entertaining Kantaro’s many followers online with her cute antics and bright personality. On Instagram, he hit the one million subscriber mark on January 27, 2025, and to celebrate, he posted the cutest, sweetest, most delightful carousel of pictures featuring baby San-Chan.) She howls at the moon, eats ice cream, and melts the hearts of everyone she meets, both young and old, human and dog.

It’s quite heartwarming seeing how people in Japan are embracing San-Chan. As a traveling nomad, Kantaro is gifted things like food and shelter, either from kind people in the community or other travelers from overseas. They buy him what he and San-Chan need after watching his videos. Everywhere San-Chan goes, she is similarly loved, receiving little outfits from strangers or a flurry of pets from the hands of passersby. “There are so many things I receive, so much support from you guys,” says Kantaro in a particularly touching video. “So thank you, thank you again.”

San-Chan and one of her many new friends.Credit: Kantaro Inagaki (@kantaro_japanwalker on Instagram, @kantaro_japanwalker_ on TikTok) Used with permission.

As for the Internet’s reactions? “I appreciate every response I receive, but what makes me happiest is when people say that my journey has inspired them to visit Japan,” Kantaro told Upworthy. “Japan is a truly beautiful country—not only the famous cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka, but also the countryside, which is filled with breathtaking landscapes and hidden gems. When people tell me they’ve come to appreciate Japan’s rural beauty through my videos, it really means the world to me.”

In a time where everything feels so divided, the word “community” can often seem like a lost concept. But watching Kantaro and San-Chan navigate this world is so beautiful. I know I’ll be tuning in. Will you?