Documentary series · Prime Video
James May: Our Man in…
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How James May: Our Man in… actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
James May: Our Man in… reads strongest on Bingeability, Character Depth and Humour.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The story
What it's about
James May embarks on a remarkable journey across Japan, from its icy north to its balmy south. He’ll see the sights, meet the locals, and eat the noodles in a bid to truly understand the Land of the Rising Sun.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 15 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Japan
20206 episodes
7.9IMDbJames May embarks on a remarkable journey across Japan, from its icy north to its balmy south. He’ll see the sights, meet the locals, and eat the noodles in a bid to truly understand the Land of the Rising Sun.
Best episode · S01E06 Pickled Plum
Season 2 · Complete
Italy
20226 episodes
7.1IMDbJames May is on an Italian job: to explore this great country’s history, culture, landscape, industry, and people. Can a bumbling, middle-aged, British bloke discover the secrets of 'la dolce vita'?
Best episode · S02E01 God's Apology
Season 3 · Complete
India
20243 episodes
7.0IMDbJames May takes on his greatest adventure yet: a 3,000 mile coast-to-coast epic across India, the most populous – and perhaps most extraordinary – country in the world. Starting by the Arabian Sea and finishing at the Bay of Bengal, his journey will encompass incredible landscapes, from the baking deserts of Rajasthan to the dramatic Himalayan foothills, and explore environments as diverse as the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, through to the global megacities of Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06 · Signature episode
Pickled Plum
The final leg of James’s journey from north to south finds him in Shikoku and Kyushu – the largest of Japan’s Southern Islands and a stunning paradise of blue water and semi-tropical sandy beaches. Cycling, archery, noodle making, and motorbike manufacturing are all in store, plus James is preserved for eternity in a creepy scarecrow village.
S01E03 · Signature episode
Deodorant
The cherry blossoms are out, and James hits the streets of Tokyo with his new guide Yujiro. As James discovers, this unique city is home to some of Japan’s greatest eccentrics and ideas. From obsessive trainspotters, musicians and baffling hi-tech gadgetry to cat superfans, penis festivals and mind-blowing computerised art shows, James tries to understand what makes Japan tick.
S01E05 · Signature episode
Peach Boy
James arrives in Osaka, Japan’s vibrant good-time city, where Pachinko gambling halls, incredible street food, and stand-up comedy are all on the menu. Yujiro, his trusty guide, returns to introduce James to Sumo wrestling, after which James escapes on a bullet train to explore the mysteries of local hero Peach Boy. Then it’s on to Hiroshima and the beautiful Itsukushima Shrine.
S01E01 · Signature episode
Go!
James begins his epic journey across Japan on the icy northern island of Hokkaido, throwing himself head first into the physical demands of dog sledding, snowball fighting and the baffling struggle of ordering noodles from a Japanese vending machine. Despite all that, there’s still time for octopus fishing and learning the art of samurai sword making.
S01E02 · Signature episode
Cabbage Roll
James arrives on the main island of Honshu, and the beautiful region of Tohoku. He seeks inspiration with a mountain expedition and naked plunge with a friendly wandering monk, battles giant robots, becomes a samurai, gets adopted by some local J-Pop sensations, before embarrassing himself and his hosts on the world’s most luxurious train.
S01E04
Hey Bim!
In his epic journey across Japan from north to south, James leaves bustling Tokyo to travel to the ancient capital of Kyoto. Along the way he indulges his passions for motorbikes, Japanese cars and culture by painting Mount Fuji, tackling the Suzuka F1 circuit and taking a music lesson from a Geisha. It’s then time for a taste of the future as a confused robot shows James around Kyoto.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
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