Today marks the fifteen-year anniversary of Jamaipanese.com. While looking back at old posts and reminiscing its obvious that this blog is the perfect measuring stick for my growth and development over the past decade and a half. Why don’t you join me looking back at at the happenings on this blog as I celebrate my 15 year Anniversary of blogging?
Before blogging was “cool” 2006 – 2007
Nowadays blogging is a buzzword, social media content is king and 4K video (and gaming) is a thing. Back then blogging was very personal and niche. Facebook just opened up to everyone, Google snapped up Youtube and I may or may not have been a teenager building HTML/CSS + Flash websites for years by this time. The first post titled “Jamaipanese.com Online” was supposed to be some kind of sci-fi reference with the content of the post being a cringe-worthy peek into my mind at the time. I recapped a lot of my beginner Japanese classes, at the time and I was excited about everything from Naruto (anime) to Heroes (TV Show) to MSN Messenger (Whatsapp’s Grandma) and a huge Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift fanboy. I also learned about the JET Programme for the first time. Asafa Powell was the 100m record holder, Hurricane Dean threatened elections in Jamaica and I bought my first digital camera.
Weeb Years + love of photography 2008 – 2009
I remember playing the original Bioshock and being blown away by the graphics back then. I was a smart ass and tried to renamed science fiction. I also got a postcard from a fellow blogger because we did that kind of thing back in the day. I thought about it then finally converted to WordPress – +10 points to anyone who can tell me what I was using for my blog before. I bought and built my first gunpla kit – it turned out to be the first of MANY.
Operation Visit Japan 2010 – 2011
That new camera I got allowed me to join an awesome photography group and we did trips to all parts of Jamaica I wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise. Air Jamaica flew for the last time and there was a scary time in my home city when Kingston had a state of emergency. The anime conference scene finally arrived in Jamaica in the form of the 1st Anime Nation but unfortunately fizzled after a couple of years. The final Operation Visit Japan report coincided with a terrible earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan but the trip eventually happened and I visited Japan for the first time in September 2011.
Loading ...Golden Age and University Years 2012 – 2016
I started University in my late 20’s while working full time and finished 4 years later (teardrop). Between these two milestones, Jamaipanese.com enjoyed its golden years. Newspaper interviews, radio interviews, blogging awards, speaking engagements that ranged from a couple dozen attendees sometimes to being invited to present (and that one time be a model) to thousands. My book “The Jamaipanese Story” was published and my blog enjoyed its highest levels of traffic, had a great community with online meetups and regular giveaways. At its peak, revenue generated by Jamaipanese.com eclipsed my day job. One day when I am drunk enough I’ll tell the story of how I was part of a group that “almost” met Japan’s former Prime Minister when he visited Jamaica.
Moving to and life in Japan – 2017 to now
I am not sure if the golden age ended because I used every fibre of my being to focus on a difficult final year at University. I had less time to blog, play video games, take photos etc but the reward? I moved to Japan in 2017. I had the urge to do a genealogy report before I left and I am glad I did. Admittedly the early months in Japan were ROUGH! However, I was empowered after surviving an attack by rice worshippers, though my rap career didn’t last very long. The literal “height” of my time here in Japan so far has ironically been when I climbed to the highest point here – Mount Fuji. Not long after though the world started to and continue to wrestle with a pandemic.
15 year Anniversary of blogging – What’s next?
I am not quite sure but my goals for the next year is to make more Youtube videos, try to pass the next level of the JLPT, continue to meet my savings goals and the prioritize myself – specifically making sure I stay healthy mentally. I have many posts celebrating blogging anniversaries over the years but if you want only the milestones, check out my 5th year and 10-year posts.
If you have read this far? Thank you! Reach out anytime on Twitter @Jamaipanese, – I will be doing some Twitter threads in the coming months focusing in on the people, things and events that contributed to my 15 year anniversary of blogging. I couldn’t fit everything in one post. Leave a message below or send me an email. Cheers! – here’s to 15 more years.
I kind of miss when blogging was a big deal. I think it had a downturn because of the rise of “microblogging” (i.e., Twitter) and social media sites like Facebook. Then Tumblr of course. Why look for, evaluate, and find ways to keep up with blogs when you can have a firehose of social media blasting through your phone nonstop?
I think Google killing off Google Reader probably helped things along in that regard. I imagine they had this idea that people would use Google search more and provide them more opportunities to advertise, but they never built anything that replicated the experience in a satisfactory way.
I suppose as people get older we wind up having less time for blogging as well. I hardly update my own as it is. But I wonder, with Facebook falling out of grace and people wanting more control over their information, if people will start turning to blogs more again?
Thank you for your support and for interacting with me over the years!
You share my opinion re the rise of social media and the decline of blogging in its original personalized form. Google has so much power over what gets seen on the internet and often times it will just come down to the advertising dollar.
Maybe blogging will become popular again as you said.
I cannot remember when I started reading your blog. I think a Japanese reader of mine referred me to your blog. What an amazing journey you have made. I started blogging with SaigonNezumi.com in 2006 about the same time as you.
I am in the process of making my journey to Japan. My Japanese mother asked me to move there over 3 years ago. Vietnam has helped me prepare for this but I think your motivation for going to Japan is 1000 times more then mine. 🙂
Please do more YouTubing. There is a group of YouTubers there but your perspective is more interesting. Did you ever interview with the BEJ guys? I love their channel though I am mixed White and mixed Japanese. I think their perspective as well is much better angled then the other group I find that get a lot of privileges there.
Keep up the good work. [japan]
What a journey! Looking forward to the next 15 years. Cheers!
Cheers Denise!
I hope your journey to Japan goes smoothly!
I don’t think I know BEJ guys – I will check them out.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment
Congrats on this major milestone. This was inspiring.
Thank you for stopping by Candi! your blog is destined for greatness. Keep at it
Amazing milestone Kirk! Congratulations!
Thank you Shandean!