Well hello there, I’m James, a twentysomething Digital Designer living in the Northwest. I started this site in Early 2008, a few months after my first visit to Japan, to write about my experiences during my short time there plus my continued interest in the culture and all things geek.
My interest in Japan goes all the way back to secondary school geography. We studied Japan for a term, spending a number of weeks looking in detail at the Japan’s natural resources (or lack thereof), exports and economics and how this shaped the country. I was 13 at the time and had never set foot outside of the UK, studying somewhere so far away and different to anything I’d ever experienced left a real lasting impression on me.
It wasn’t until over a decade later that I got to experience Japan for myself, it was everything I expected and more, the sights, the food, the history, it all enthralled me. To date I’ve been lucky enough to visit three times, most recently Christmas 2009 when I got married in Kyoto on Christmas Eve.
I’ve applied to teach in Japan through the JET Programme twice now in 2010 and 2011. First time I wasn’t selected for interview, and the second I made it all the way to the Alternate list but didn’t receive an upgrade. I’m pondering applying for a third time, but perhaps two times is enough.
I have a broad range of interests, and to that end there’s quite a mix of posts here, from Japan-related photography and developments, to urbexing, video games and Gundam! Hope you enjoy the site, if you have any questions or feedback feel free to leave a comment!