Japanese grandpa turns accidental YouTube star with ‘warm and peaceful’ art tutorials
- Harumichi Shibasaki has built a global following thanks to his calm, soothing manner and the English subtitles on his videos of painting and sketch techniques
- The 74-year-old is also active on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, and says being directly connected to his 1.4 million followers is ‘like a dream’
Unlike the attention-grabbing antics of most top YouTubers, the grandfather has won hearts with his calm, soothing manner, which fans say makes them feel “warm and peaceful”.
He has also built a global following thanks to the English subtitles on his videos demonstrating painting and sketch techniques, which sometimes feature his grandchildren and two cats.
“Hello. Shibasaki here. How’s everyone doing?” the grey-haired art instructor with glasses and a moustache says in Japanese, pausing to smile and wave.
The 74-year-old films everything himself for his channel “Watercolor by Shibasaki” using tripods, lighting and a smartphone or DSLR camera.
He is also active on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, and says being directly connected to the world is “like a dream”.
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Japanese grandpa becomes hit on YouTube with soothing art tutorials videos
“We didn’t even have a TV at home when I was a child,” Shibasaki said near his home in a rural part of Chiba, outside Tokyo, where birdsong fills the air.