Big Man in Japan

An English Engineer’s Reflections on Life and Work in Yokohama, 1983

By: David Norris

Narrated by: David Norris, Barry Norris

In early 1983, electrical engineer Barry Norris travelled from Sheffield to Japan to help build an oil rig in Yokohama. Each week he recorded his thoughts on cassette tapes, describing daily life in Japan during its industrial boom, from shipyards and sushi bars to earthquakes and karaoke nights. More than forty years later, his son David Norris introduces and shares those recordings in full, preserving the unfiltered voice of a Geordie abroad. The result is a vivid first-hand account of a British engineer’s experience in 1980s Japan, a portrait of cultural contrast, humour, hard work, and a rapidly changing world. Part travelogue, part family memoir, Big Man in Japan is both a time capsule and a tribute: the story of a big man who lived a short life, told in his own words.

The audiobook version is introduced by David Norris. The main chapters are all the original recordings of the tapes which Barry recorded in 1983. They have had some editing to improve the sound quality, however you will still be able to hear the click when Barry starts and finishes each section, you will hear all the conversational nuances of "ums" and "ands", repeated words or phrases and the gathering of thoughts - these were edited out of the written version but remain here. The tape recorder Barry used was on it's last legs, so there are sections of the recordings where his voice is higher in frequency.

©2025 David Norris (P)2025 David Norris