GUEST
James – Storm chaser
Meet James, a British national who has one of the most unique jobs in Japan. In 2012, he founded Earth Uncut TV while living in Hong Kong and he has been documenting the forces of mother nature in the Asia Pacific region and other parts of the world. Some of his work has been displayed on popular sources of media such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic, universities, films, and more.
Why did we reach out to James?
How did you end up chasing storms in Japan? Typhoons, Cyclones, Hurricanes, are they all just the same thing? What is it like in the eye of a storm? We had many questions and wanted answers from a specialist, so we reached out to James through the X platform to get answers.
What we talked about:
It is such an anomaly to be a professional storm-chaser in Japan, so we asked James to spill the details and share how he came here and what gave him the idea to make a career out of chasing some of the world’s biggest storms. Initially driven by curiosity and a thirst for adventure, James discovered the value of his work after filming a typhoon in Vietnam, which led to his first client. By 2012, he was profiting from storm-chasing, hopping on planes solo to catch footage of the forces of mother nature around the globe. Now, his footage has been featured on famous networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic, NASA, and even in movies like Sharknado.
James explains the difference between hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones and shares stories of dangerous encounters, including a close call in Okinawa during a Category 5 storm. He also describes the surreal experience of being in the eye of the storm. He prepares extensively for each storm, paying attention to flood risks, wind, and storm surges. While typically working alone, James occasionally collaborates with journalists and film crews.
Recently, he’s branched off to even film other forces of nature such as volcanoes in Japan, capturing footage of eruptions. James believes staying curious, humble, and connecting with nature can lead to marvelous discoveries.
