Interview with: IUCHI ERI

So, again it has been a little while since I have done the last installment of the interviews that I was going on about. Funny thing, the plans of mice and men. They seem to always change on you when least expected. An example would be this interview. I was planning on doing a shoot outside with Eri, but it actually ended up raining. Therefore, I had to find somewhere we can shoot inside, and I was lacking equipment.


Luckily, this cafeteria was pretty empty. [with the exception of some kids who were just chilling in the cafe area.] I am pretty satisfied with the photos that came out. It ended up being a great place to shoot. I didn't even use a flash! All I did was white balance the light, to get ride of the green that was coming from the neon lights, and used the table as a bounce of the light.




I mean it could have been better, but I am not going to complain with what I got. It is nice enough, and awesome that I was able to just use what I had on hand to accomplish the shoot. This was probably the most under equipped time that I was going out. I just had the Canon 1Ds, 3 batteries, and the gray card. Not bad, eh? Oh well, on with the interview!




Interview Sheet:


What is your name: Iuchi Eri


What is your Nationality: Japanese




How old are you: 19


Are you single: No


What is your Major/Faculty: Linguistics


What year are you: Sophomore




Are you in any clubs: Yes
Which one(s): English Speaking Society (E.S.S.)




What is your position in the club(s)? What do you do?


In this club we have no specific positions, but we all try to learn and speak in English. I particularly have interest in speaking English.




What is interesting about your club(s)?


Ah…. I uh… I dunno…. If I really want to improve my English skills, then I should join. So, I joined it. It is an official club, so we can meet other members around Japan. Sometimes we go to Fukuoka to meet people, and sometimes my friends can go to Hokkaido to make speeches in English.




Do you have a job(s): Yup
What do you do?


I work for an udon restaurant.




What are your hobbies?


I like to listen to music, reading books, chatting and hanging out with friends, and most of all unlimited drinking sprees. Sometimes, I like outdoor hobbies like camping, hiking, and climbing.




What music/movies/books/TV shows do you like?
Um.. I like jazz, rock, R and B. I especially like American music. I like Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, and Owl City. Oh, and Lady Gaga. About Japanese music, I like: Exile, Ayaka, Kimura Kaera.


Movies… I like: A Moment to Remember and Lovely Bones, there is a good memory to go with the movie though, it was my first date with my current boyfriend. I also like Mononoke Hime, that is the best Ghibli movie.


Ah… books… which books…. I don’t usually read fictional books, I enjoy reading business oriented stories. I also like Norway no Mori.


I don’t really watch TV, but sometimes I like to watch baseball, the news and Ame Talk (a Comedy show).




Do you have any special skills/abilities?


I don’t really have any special skills, but I did practice Kyudo in high school. I had to quit because of the time issue. I would really like to start again though.




What do you like about Japan? Why?


I like the Japanese language, and our four seasons. About the Japanese language, we have so many words to express our minds and sometimes the words try to take care others. I believe that the Japanese are full of kindness.


It probably doesn’t hurt that Japanese is my first language.




Do you like to travel: Yes
Where have you been, outside of Japan:


Actually, I have never been out of Japan.


Where have you traveled in Japan?


Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi, Kyoto, Nara, Hyougo, Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Shizouka, Nagasaki, Kouchi, Fukushima, Kagawa, and Hiroshima.




Please, explain what you saw/experienced in these places:


I have relatives in Tokyo, and I went there with my friends as a school trip and a graduation trip. Especially Disneyland. I have been there four times.


I went to Osaka with my family, and we drove there on the way to visit my grandmother in Kyoto.


I guess, Aichi was just a vacation where I went to a international exhibition. It was about the world.


Shimane was just a trip with my family to eat izumosoba. It was good.


Yamaguchi was about my grandmother telling me that she really wanted to go there, and visit Kintaikyo and her friends.


Nagasaki and Fukuouka were school trips.




Are there any places that you would recommend a traveler to visit?


Eh… if you are a girl, I would recommend Kobe for shopping. There are a lot of cute shops.




What do you wish to do in the future?


Maybe, I will work for a mass media company. At least I hope so, I mean I really want to work there. It would also be great to meet new people.




Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?


I guess, I will be struggling to find my husband (giggles). I hope that I will be able to work hard, and get uh… get smart, and be intelligent… I really don’t know. I really hope that I will be independent from my parents.




What are a few things about yourself, and your country, that you would like the world to know about, that can help describe your character and understand who you are, or where your from?


I want you to know that um… many Japanese will be struggling, by themselves I guess. This means, I guess, when Japanese people try to get together with different people, who speak a different languages, or have a different opinions, they try to avoid confusion.


It means that good points are: to be kind, to be cordial, to be happy with other people. Of course, I guess, to point out we don’t have individual characteristics. Maybe you would think that Japanese people are all the same and in the same group, but I guess it would be that Japanese people don’t really have unique individual characteristics. I believe this comes from Japanese people trying to avoid conflict and confusion.




Interviewee’s Space; Final Thoughts?


I’m so sorry to have kept being shy. I guess you would have troubled to make interview so that I have made off the cuff, my opinion have not made sense and not been logical. But I had a great experience! I’m really glad that you gave me such a chance. Thanks. If I would be able to have a chance again, I want to try again.


Thanks for taking a peek; more photos HERE!














Want to see more of Eri's photos? Click HERE!

Interview with NAMBA AYUMI

Interview Sheet:


1. What is your name: AYUMI NAMBA


2. What is your Nationality: JAPANESE


3. How old are you: 23




4. Are you single: No


5. What is your Major/Faculty: Education


6. What year are you: Senior


7. Are you in any clubs: No




8. Do you have a job: I work at a Bakery and at the English Cafe on Campus


8a. What do you do?


At the English Café, I organize the room, speak to Japanese students, attend the events, answer the phones, and talk to foreign students.


At “Muskato Bianco” Bakery, I work the register. I’m a cashier. It is a boring job, especially during the weekdays. There are very few people that go onto the highway because it is busy, and the bakery is at a rest stop. The best thing about this job is I get breakfast and lunch bread for free.




9. What are your hobbies?


My hobbies are…. Hanging out with friends, window shopping, going to cafes and drinking coffee, read magazines, cooking, and knitting.


10. What music/movies/TV shows do you like?


I like Jazz, acoustic, and slow music like Jack Johnson, Leona Lewis, Jason Mraz (although he is not slow), Mr. Children, Monkey Majiku, UTADA HIKARU, AI, and EGO’WRAPPIN.


As for TV I like the programs: AME Talk, a show about comedians making fun of JAPANESE pop culture. I also like some dramas, but I don’t really keep up with them religiously. My favorite programs to watch are economic documentaries.


My favorite movies are: Love Actually and Mama Mia.




11. Do you have any special skills/abilities?


My charm points are my eyes and my black hair. (Her eyes are like cat eyes, and she has beautiful thick hair.)


My special skill is that I can play the saxophone.




12. What do you like about Japan? Why?


I like the four seasons and food. Japanese food is awesome. I can enjoy the four different scenes during the seasons. Spring is SAKURA, summer is the beach, fall is KOYO, and I don’t really like winter.


I also like the fact that I can get whatever I would like in JAPAN. If I want American food, then I can get American food. It is wonderful.




13. Do you like to travel: Yes


13a. Where have you been, outside of Japan:


I have been to the United States of America, Australia, and Guam.



14. Where have you traveled in Japan?


HOKKAIDO, TOKYO, OSAKA, KYOTO, NARA, HYOUGO, TOTORI, SHIMANE, HIROSHIMA, YAMAGUCHI, ALL OF SHIKOKU, and KYUSHU.


14a. Please, explain what you saw/experienced in these places:


I went to KYOTO, most recently in last November, and it was the KOYO (Autumn leaves changing). There was a bunch of people there because of this. I went to KYOMIZUDERA and the amount of people at the main temple was amazing. I also went to ARASHIYAMA. There, I went into the mountain in the morning though, and thus, it was foggy. There was a very famous bridge in ARASHIYAMA, but it was full of people. It was about 100 meters, and it took only about five minutes to cross.


When I was a freshman, or sophomore, I went camping in SHOUDOSHIMA. It is an island between OKAYAMA and KAGAWA. It is in KAGAWA prefecture. It was wonderful. I went with my friends in one car and two large motorcycles. It was in May, and it was freezing. There were 6 friends, because it was cold we bundled up and slept shoulder to shoulder.




15. Are there any places that you would recommend a traveler to visit?


SHOUDOSHIMA is a place that I would recommend for a person who likes camping to go.


NAOSHIMA is another place that I would recommend for people who like modern art. It is a small beautiful island, with a very awesome modern museum.






16. What do you wish to do in the future?


I wish to teach English to high school and middle school level. I will quit, when I have children. When they grow up, I would like to have a private English teaching practice at my house.




17. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?


I will still be in OKAYAMA, or maybe living in America. Doing a teaching job as mentioned above. Preferably with a child or two.




18. What are a few things about yourself, and your country, that you would like the world to know about, that can help describe your character and understand who you are, or where your from?


OKUYUKASHII is a word that best describes me. It translates to: elegant refined, and modest. I believe that I’m modest. Japan has the idea of male chauvinism. It is especially dominant in the older generations. Some of the younger people like the idea. I kind of like the idea. I’m tough mentally. I believe that is really all.




Interviewers Note: This interview was conducted back in December of 2009, and things have changed a little since then. These photos were taken a few days ago, and it was only recently that I was able to actually get time to meet with her. We both had very busy schedules. Since the actual interview, AYUMI has graduated from OKAYAMA University last spring, and is now teaching the seventh grade (中学二年) at a private OKAYAMA junior high school. She is really having a good time teaching English to her kids.


For the rest of her photos click HERE!



















































For all of AYUMI's photos, click on the title or HERE!


Thanks for checking out the post!