Living abroad had been a dream of mine since I was a child but as I was approaching thirty, I thought that the opportunity was long over, especially with time lost due to Covid. However, having met so many Japanese people on working holiday visas I thought I’d check to see if there was anything available to me, and low and behold there was a reciprocal scheme that I could apply for up until I turned thirty-one. It was about eighteen months ago that the plan was hatched, and it was a very long wait (or at least it seemed that way) until I applied for the visa and then finally arrived in Japan. I could have gone earlier but I wanted to spend more time in the UK saving up money and building my contact base first. A year volunteering with the Japan Society as their photographer was very helpful for the latter and has proved invaluable at this early stage.

But the wait is finally over. The fourteen-hour flight in economy was a real test of endurance and I struggled immensely in the first week with jetlag, but I have now been in Japan for six weeks and finding my feet. Tricky as this was not only my first time in Japan but my first time in Asia and the rhythm of how everything works is very different. But at least the initial the culture shock is long gone and thankfully so to the 35°C summer heatwave. That really was a shock to the system when I first arrived. Though Autumn is arriving much later here in Japan, and even at the beginning of November most trees are still very green, with only the first hints of autumn colours appearing now.

Given my change of location, you can also expect a change in content for the blog as for the foreseeable future it’ll be all about Japan. Up until now I’ve only been in and around Tokyo but next week I will travel for the first time to different parts of Japan and hopefully I’ll survive the experience on the night bus. It’s cheap if nothing else. I’ve not yet been to visit Mount Fuji, but I did manage to see it in its entirety as my plane was coming in to land. A good start to my adventures, but I hope to travel to the area at some point before Christmas.

One thing that has surprised me is that I haven’t felt the urge to run around with my camera everyday like I have on other trips. This one is of course different given I’m actually living here for an extended period of time, however it has been good at times to take a break from creating images, to just wander around and enjoy being here and to have the time to acclimatise. My Japanese hasn’t improved as much as I would have liked so far but now I feel more settled I feel more able to learn and I am sure my progress will accelerate as the year goes on. I hope over the course of the next year you enjoy my travels through Japan and hopefully I might even see some of you out here.

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