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Big Man In Japan: An English Engineer’s Reflections on Life and Work in Yokohama, 1983
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 has transcribed 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 the story of a big man who lived a short life, told in his own words.
More than forty years later, his son David Norris has transcribed 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 the story of a big man who lived a short life, told in his own words.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2025
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