At the age of 15 a teacher had asked me what I wanted to do for a career and without knowing why or even how I replied that I wanted to be a poet.

I was very studious too much. I would never go out at weekends. I was very serious. You should have seen me in class - I was blushing and sweating every time the teacher asked me something.

I wasn't originally taking drama but the drama teacher asked me to audition for Bye Bye Birdie. I did and got the lead role. Initially I was kind of scared but once I did it I got bitten by the bug and loved it.

Prior to being allowed to enter the profession prospective teachers should be asked to talk with a group of friendly students for at least half an hour and be able to engage them in an interesting conversation about any subject the prospective teacher wants to talk about.

Faulkner turned out to be a great teacher. When a student asked a question ineptly he answered the question with what the student had really wanted to know.

Captain Hale alone without sympathy or support save that from above on the near approach of death asked for a clergyman to attend him. It was refused. He then requested a Bible that too was refused by his inhuman jailer.

I did a shoot for 'Sports Illustrated ' and my grandpa called me and asked when my issue of 'Playboy' was coming out. It was hilarious as well as embarrassing.

If they asked me I did two shifts. I did sports I did news because I loved it.

All you now do is pursue your private objectives within society. Instead of us being a community everybody is asked to seek their own personal ends. It's called competition. And competition is antagonism.

Since I have come to America I am often asked whether my next novel will be set in America. I don't think it will. I think I will be living in America for some time to come but while living in America I would like to write about Japanese society from the outside.