Ronan Larkin

A little about myself:  I love learning new things, and that’s probably why I spent a lot of time in school. A few years ago, I moved from France to Canada to go to University, and I ended up travelling across the country, volunteering on farms. When I got  an opportunity to go to Japan for the first time, I seized it. I have been here one year now, discovering more about Japanese culture everyday, sharing mine, and enjoying it!

Interview

Q. What’s your favorite color?
A. Blue.

Q. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say “blue”?
A. The sky.

Q. Do you have kids?
A. No.

Q. What are three things you value?
A. Respect, humour, compassion.

Q. What kind of place was your hometown?
A. I grew up in a small village in southern France (about 2000 people). There was not much to it: a school, an old church, a lake and a football pitch, all surrounded by fields. It has changed a lot since, and there are now shops, and a pizza place!  My parents still live there, and it’s always nice to go back.

Q. What is your favorite Japanese food?
A. Sushi, miso soup, and Japanese green tea.

Q. What is your favorite non-Japanese food?
A. Raclette: cheese (called raclette) melted over potatoes, served with dried meat and pickles. It comes from the French/Swiss Alps.

Q. What’s your favorite place in Japan outside Tokyo?
A. The Kiso Valley in Nagano

Q. What place in Japan do you want to go?
A. Everywhere! Kansai is at the top of my list.

Q. What do you like best about yourself?
A. I like to think I’m easy-going.

Q. What do you do on your free time?
A. In my free time I enjoy exploring different places while geocaching. I also like to watch movies and documentaries, play chess and cook.

Q. What country do you want to visit the most?
A. New Zealand and Scandinavia.

Q. What are your favorite movies?
A. Forest Gump, Unbreakable, Tampopo, Amélie.

Q. Who are your favorite actors/actresses?
A. François Damiens, Edward Norton.

Q. What is another field of work that is very interesting to you?
A. Something involving food making, like catering, and hospitality. So maybe a guesthouse.

Q. What is one thing you want to do before you die?
A. I would like to see the world, and write a book.

Q. Why did you come to Japan?
A. When I was studying in Canada, a class about Asia led me to learn and want to learn more about Japan and its culture. What I discovered and read was appealing to me and I started to enjoy it in my freetime : music, art, history, architecture, language and so on. With my time in Canada coming to an end, I had an opportunity to go to Japan on a Working Holiday Visa, and I seized it! I am happy I did.