Living in Zushi, drawn to the sea and the mountains.
— How long have you been living in this house in Zushi?
Namba: It’s been a little over two years now. Before that, I was working at a shop in Harajuku, and I moved here right after I quit that job. I use the room on the first floor as my office, so it’s kind of like a combination of a home and an office.
— By the way, what made you choose the Zushi area?
Namba: My wife and I had been talking for a while about how we’d like to live by the ocean together. That’s because I’m from Kobe, and she’s from Ashiya. So, both of us are from Hyogo Prefecture and live near the ocean, so we figured it would be best to live near the ocean—that was our initial reason. Since we’ve had Kotome ever since we lived in Tokyo, being able to properly care for our dog was also an essential requirement when looking for a place.
— What has it been like living here?
Namba: It’s really great here. In my first year, I’d just started a new job, and since the town is so much more peaceful than I expected, I even started to worry, “Is it really okay for it to be this peaceful?” But by my second year, I’d finally gotten used to it, and now I’m living a really nice life here. Lately, I’ve even started to feel a little overwhelmed when I go into Tokyo. I think one of the best things about this area is that the ocean and mountains are close by—we have both. That’s something we have in common with Kobe, too. Kotome and I often go hiking in the nearby mountains.
— Do you use your camera quite a bit in your daily life, like when you go hiking?
Namba: To be honest, I don’t use it that much, but trying out various things this time was fun and felt pretty fresh. At work, I often take photos of clothes and have plenty of opportunities to use a camera, but outside of that, I mostly use my iPhone. I do own a film camera from Kyocera, and while I like cameras in general, I’m not that knowledgeable about them, nor am I a die-hard enthusiast. Even when I take photos of my cat, Kotome, I almost always use my iPhone in my daily life.
— What kind of camera do you use for work?
Namba: I use a full-frame DSLR from Canon. It’s what you’d call a DSLR. I currently run my own brand, and I take photos of the clothes to feature on the brand’s online store. I even use the self-timer to take selfies of myself wearing the clothes. I don’t take photos like a pro, but since the brand itself is really small, I handle everything myself from start to finish.
