Camera in Japan

I’m a teacher, an avid student of Japan (in all its forms) and a wannabe writer from England, currently living in Kanagawa, Japan. I created Camera in Japan as a companion photoblog for James in Japan, a blog that chronicles my time in Japan, alongside my thoughts on my various interests.

In November 2008 I bought my first DSLR camera: a Canon Kiss F. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with cameras. My earliest photos always suffered from intruding fingertips or a complete lack of composition. Nevertheless, I always wanted to give photography a shot. As a hobby I enjoy it, but it is clear that I have much to learn.

The things I love most in life are my laptop (a Fujitsu FMV-BIBLO NF/A70), my camera and my wife, Keiko (a Mk I human). I’ve been writing for several years, in various formats, and I really love it, even if I have much to improve.

On week days you’ll usually find me teaching a Japanese adults and kids (from age 2 upwards) the basics and, in some cases, nuances. On the weekends I like to explore the locals towns and cities and relax in front of the computer screen.

My idea of the perfect day would start with a ride to the coast where I could have a lovely, slap-up meal with my wife. Later I’d sit down beside her and watch the sun set into the sea. And I’d top it all off by checking in for all-you-can-drink, all-night karaoke.

The kinds of people I enjoy the most are ones who are passionate about the society in which we live and can sit down for a good chat in a bar. That’s important to me because I don’t get out much anymore, regrettable, I know.

My dreams for the future are to really improve my writing and photography, to be able to speak fluent Japanese, and to be in a satisfying career. So what am I doing to achieve those dreams? Well, how about blogging, for starters. I’m also writing elsewhere on an ad hoc basis. For my photography, practice makes perfect, take a look at the photos here at Camera in Japan to see how things are progressing. One thing I need to do more of is practice my Japanese. I may be living in Japan, but I barely ever have to use my Japanese.