First sketches (Click to enlarge photo - 59kB)

So what can Okazaki offer? There are plenty of things to do - but often you need to look for them. Or to be more exact, you need someone to introduce you into the layers of groups that comprise Japanese society. In my case I was interested in art and in fashion drawing in particular. Having done a stint of fashion drawing back in London, I was not prepared to put my interests on hold in Okazaki.

So I trailed the countryside for suitable drawing courses, but in vain... To enrol in a drawing course in Japan you needed fluent Japanese, money, preparedness to enrol full-time (only) in specialised colleges etc. There are several universities teaching fine arts at both undergraduate and graduate level, and quite a few training and vocational colleges offering programs. But unfortunately I couldn't find anything suitable for my time frame or budget.

In some ways though the relative lack of specialised activities can work to your advantage. I wanted to draw and I ended up teaching it. So, how did it all start?