Contrary to popular belief, being a professional YouTuber is actually a lot tougher than it looks.

Watching YouTube videos has become a popular pastime. Some animal videos are just pure unadulterated cuteness, while others can be educational for people interested in Japan, and they’re all created by various YouTubers with distinct personalities. With so many great-looking videos online, one might think that YouTubers have it easy, creating jaw-dropping videos with just a few clicks in the comfort of their own home.

As it turns out, there’s a lot more to it than just exercising your index finger. Hikakin, a famous Japanese YouTuber, recently gave us a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes by uploading a video detailing one day of his life. While his celebrity status is nowhere near that of internationally recognized gaming vlogger PewDiePie, his video affords us a glimpse into what these enigmatic individuals actually do.

▼ Check out a day in the life of Hikakin below:

The video starts off at 2:48 a.m., when Hikakin has just woken up from a one-hour nap. Today marks his first appearance on Fuji Television Network’s morning program, Mezamashi TV, and Hikakin has to arrive at the studio at about 5:30 a.m. for his scheduled 7:10 a.m. appearance. Not wanting to oversleep, he decides to finish up some video editing before his departure.

▼ Most people are already asleep. He’s just woken up.

There’s a lot that goes on in the video, so let’s take a detailed look at the rundown of Hikakin’s busy day.

4:00 a.m. – Hikakin has breakfast consisting of convenience store-bought natto, vegetable juice and a piece of tandoori chicken.

5:00 a.m. – He hops into a taxi and heads over to the Fuji Television Network studio.

7:00 a.m. – With his makeup all done, he goes live.

7:46 a.m. – Hikakin heads home.

8:30 a.m. – Arriving at his humble abode, he decides to clean up his hideout.

▼ It seems like he drinks more coffee than water.

9:00 a.m. – Laundry time! Hikakin spruces up his room and does some more work.

12:00 p.m. – He starts recording content for Othellonia, a popular mobile game in Japan. This will no doubt end up on his games channel.

1:33 p.m. – Hikakin starts editing the recorded video.

5:08 p.m. – Three and a half hours later, editing is finished!

5:55 p.m. – Hikakin publishes his Othellonia video. Since today is also the release date of the phenomenal Ao Oni 2: Principal’s Chapter, he decides to record a game play video of it as well. Hikakin explains that he usually records content for his main channel, HikakinTV, but mentions that he has already done today’s segment in advance.

6:00 p.m. – He starts recording for Ao Oni 2: Principal’s Chapter.

6:29 p.m. – Video editing begins! Hikakin is visibly tired from lack of sleep.

7:18 p.m. – Editing finished!

7:46 p.m. – The Ao Oni 2 video gets uploaded. Hikakin notes that a new stage for the Monster Strike mobile game will be released at 8:00 p.m., which is in 14 minutes! Looks like he’ll have to do some recording of that too.

8:00 p.m. – Recording for Monster Strike begins. It has been 16 hours since his last meal (or first) at 4:00 a.m.

8:33 p.m. – Recording ends, and the lack of sleep is taking its toll on Hikakin. Any sane person would head to bed immediately at this point. However, since Hikakin has arrangements at 4:00 a.m. the next morning, he absolutely has to finish editing the video by tonight. He plans to go get a massage (and take a nap while he’s at it), then come back and do some editing.

9:00 p.m. – Hikakin heads off for a massage!

11:30 p.m. – He arrives back home, hauling some groceries he bought from a convenience store on the way back. It was meant to be a 100-minute massage but he ended up snoozing for a lot longer. We can’t blame him – this guy’s been working non-stop with only coffee to keep him awake. His loot from Seven-Eleven consists of a ham and potato salad, a piece of pepper garlic chicken, natto, and tonjiru (Miso soup with pork and vegetables).

12:45 a.m. – Monster Strike content editing commences.

1:45 a.m. – Monster Strike editing complete! Hikakin now begins editing the video you are watching now.

2:48 a.m. – 24 hours has passed since the recording of the video! If you take a peek at Hikakin’s laptop screen, he’s editing the three-minute mark of the video you are watching. We know that the total length is about 12 minutes. In other words, he is nowhere near completion! This would likely take another hour or two, but remember that he has to head out at 4:00 a.m.!

In the closing comments, Hikakin mentions that his daily routine is, in fact, quite mundane. Aside from his appearance on Fuji Television Network’s live program, everything that you see in the video is what he does every day, 365 days a year. Being locked up in his room all the time means he barely has any time for socializing. In his own words, being a YouTuber is like running a marathon; you just keep running.

▼ A salute to you too

Becoming a professional YouTuber is a dream come true for many, yet few understand that it’s no easy feat. For a Japanese vlogger like Hikakin, the dream is fueled by convenience store snacks, late night massages and pure adrenaline from lack of sleep. Do you have what it takes to run a marathon like this? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source: Youtube/HikakinTV via MY GAME NEWS FLASH
Images: Youtube/HikakinTV