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This is #6 in a series on our visit to KidZania in Nishinomiya, Japan, where Anthony's day to this point has consisted of working as a gas-station attendant, getting some banking done, a short stint as construction worker, and enrollment in driver's ed to get a driver's license.

Then it was time for a bit of journalism.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/6.3, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Adjusting His Reporter Vest
as he waits his turn at the Asahi Shimbun, a newspaper with a daily paid circulation of 11.7 million copies

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rookie Reporters Getting The Basics
as the editor explains the front-page layout

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Writing Up a Reporting Plan

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Out on Assignment
each kid got an alarm so they'd know when to return

We had no idea what this job involved (nor did Anthony, for that matter), so we were a bit surprised when they came out and took off. We followed as they wound their way through the crowd, and although they were just a second or two ahead of me, I suddenly realized that I'd lost them (or they'd lost me, perhaps). Doh!

After a while, I spotted Anthony with another boy on the street in front of the bank....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Anthony clearly had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, but the other boy was a bit older and helped him out, and eventually Anthony found himself at a dentist's office doing an interview...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Journalism in Action

When he was done, he came back out and joined the other boy in writing up notes for their articles...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 102 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Detailed Notes

The top of his clipboard has a sticker saying “dentist”, which I found out later was his assignment. Each kid was given a location, but otherwise had to come up with the story idea (and execution) by themselves.

The first part of the note says "Good evening, I'm a reporter for the Asahi Newspaper; allow me to ask some questions.", so I guess that's what he was writing earlier back at the bureau, as he learned the reporter ropes.

Once the notes were written, they returned to work on their stories...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
In the Newsroom

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.5, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Assistance from the Editor-in-Chief

Eventually they were done, and it seems that Anthony's article was page one above the fold! (at least for the print run of 1 copy that he received 🙂 )....

Byline Anthony M. Friedl

The four large vertically-written characters in the upper-right are the name of the newspaper, likely using the same font and now-somewhat-archaic characters used when the paper first opened in 1879.

The large white-on-black writing across the top is Anthony's headline, which says, more or less, “Cavity Store”, which is apparently Anthony's impression of a dental clinic. It's as funny in Japanese as in English, though I don't believe he intended it to be.

Under that in the vertical right-to-left print is his article, which reads in whole: “It seemed difficult. It seemed yucky.”

Under that is the byline, which has a picture of him, his name, and kisha, which might be translated as “reporter”, “journalist”, “correspondent”, etc., and is the same thing that was on the yellow armband the kids wore when out on assignment.

Continued here...