It's a undeniable fact that I've spent 70 years, but I don't feel good about the old sounding of the word "seventy years old." Yes, even 60s sounds old enough but to me the difference between them is like the one between a one-story house and a skyscraper. Maybe, no one will listen to "my future plan" once I became 70s. Instead, some mean people may even say "you don't need a long-term plan anymore. Just think about what you'll do tomorrow." But, I need to tell them to watch out one high kick delivered from somewhere by someone.

As it was introduced in "Rangefinder People," my job story has been so colorful. Maybe, getting jobs was easier at that time than these days. So many kinds of jobs were listed on the newspaper's job section and I was able to do any kinds of jobs. Every time I changed my job, I would feel excited to imagine the new world behind it. There were no easy jobs, but at least I could eat. So, I wanted to try anything that interested me without really thinking about my future. The jobs include bartender, market price salesperson, driver, trade affairs/imports wholesale, street stalls salesperson, can manufacturer, plumber, construction worker, worker dispatcher, clothing sales, interior design worker, paint sales and printing, furniture sales, and background works that I cannot list here. I came to the United States in 1988 and I7ve worked for more than 10 companies since then, So, I think I basically like changes in my life. I still have that free mind and as long as I have a chance, I'd like to go anywhere in the world as long as Ito do the job I find interesting. On, my wife hasn't changed for 45 years though.

"Gedatsu" is one of my favorite word. It's a word used in Buddhism and according to dictionary, it means reaching a state of being free from worries and confusions. But, my life has already been free enough, so I didn't have to go through the process and hence I don't have to attain the "spiritual enlightenment." Yet, I live in a human world with my family and I do experience those bread-and-butter issues. However, I've always been thinking "everything's gonna be alright," or "time will solve everything," so I 've never tried to seach for "the best solution" and lived with optimism. After all, "gedatsu" is my creed.

In this unorganized life, photography has been occupying most of my heart for a long time. My first camera was the Aires 35IIIs that my father bought for me. When I started working, I was using the Nikon F2 Photomic A to record my overseas business trips. And, for a while, I was away from cameras and photography, but I encountered Leica after I moved to the United States. This episode is detailed in the "Rangefinder People" and here I want to introduce you one photo that made me get completely absorbed in photography.

This photo was displayed on a blog "Nontan's Digital Scenery" . I was touched by the backlit photo of a young man surfing against the waves being transparent by the evening sun and the white sea spray. I had two chances to meet the blog's owner Mr. Nontan. He is so dandy and, as he is descended from a painter, his ideas about photography as an art were very sophisticated. Then, he introduced me to other photographers who are also his friends and I started to enjoy taking photography being influenced by a variety of wonderful shots in many blogs on the web.

Mostly, I take snapshots of people without getting permissions from them. I like to shoot subjects that I can feel how they live and the stories behind them. And, once the subject is photographed and printed or projected on the monitor, the person or scenery starts to live in my imaginary world and the image will not be real. Because of this notion, I don't hesitate taking the candid shots, I think.

Now, my main cameras are Leica M9-P, M8, and X1. I use them because they are great cameras for taking snapshots and I can use classic lenses. I aim my camera at the subject when I receive a signal from it and when it resonates the melody and rhythm in my heart. Although I rarely can get the very shutter chance, it's so much fun to take a walk hunting for such chance. I don't have a particular theme when shooting, because I think if I search subjects according to the theme, I'll be sending my signal to them and there won't be pure inspirations.

Thanks to Mr. K, I'll be continuing writing this column section for this year as well. I 'd like to express my sincere gratitude to all readers. Thank you so much!