---Where were you born?
Amagi-City, Fukuoka Prefecture which has been renamed Asakura-City.
---How long have you lived in Kurashiki?
Since spring, 2006. I was a textile dyer in Fukuoka before that.
---What brought you here?
My mentor came up with a project to set up a dyeing factory in Thailand and I was assined to go. There was nothing to do during three months waiting for my visa to be issued, so I came to Kurashiki to visit a friend. I planned on staying only for three months, but the project in Thailand flopped and I ended up living here.
---What do you do for a living here in Kurashiki?
I used to be a temporary agency worker for Mitsubishi Motors in Mizushima, but I quit last spring. I am now a dyer at Kasuyama where my house and studio is.
---Have you changed since coming to Kurashiki?
The genre of music I listen to has expanded. I never really listened to Oasis or Pink Floyd when I was in Fukuoka. There are many places that play music in Kurashiki. There are also many DJs. They are good.
---How do you spend your time when there's nothing to do?
I watch NHK Educational programs. "Nihongo de Asobo" is my favorite. I usually go out for drinks in the evening. However, it always rains the next day when I do that. The dye doesn't dry in rainy weather. I think of it as some sort of punishment.
---What would you consider the best present?
Onion skin. The brown part becomes material for a dye. Gathering them is pretty tough work.