What was your first job as a journalist?
I had to determine if the yakuza in Yokohama were shaking down the foreign street merchants working in the area. They were.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I have. I still have some whiteout in a drawer somewhere.
How is social media changing news?
It allows an individual journalist to crowd source and obtain help from people interested in the subject you're investigating or writing on.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
That is such a loaded question. :-D. George Smiley. You say he's a spy, I say he's a journalist.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To write the truth by any means possible while protecting sources and making the world a better place in the process and in your choices.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
-you'reit
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer a curve ball rather than a dead ball. I have poor depth perception and less tolerance for pain than I used to have.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
A Macbook Air, a Canon Power Shot S110, an IC Recorder, Scrivener, Pages, Comic Life, Adobe Photo Elements, Adobe Premiere Elements, iPhone.
What's your favorite social network?
Face to face communication in real time.
Who do you wish followed you?
I don't wish for anyone to follow me. If you're going to lead people, you need to know where you're going and I don't.
Why did you become a journalist?
Fate. A tarot machine in Kabuki-cho Japan's red light told me that was my destiny. That my morbid curiosity would serve me well. So be it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No. I worked or rather I wrote for my college newspaper, Jochi Daigaku (Sophia University). I wrote about campus events.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A series of stories about human trafficking problems in Japan which helped shame the government into changing the laws.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Learn to edit video, shoot your own photos, acquire specialized knowledge, be willing to work odd jobs to support your journalism hobby.
