Nationality: Czech
Time Living in Japan: More than 6 years
Employer: Self-Employed in Real Joy Photography
Current Job Title: Photographer
Areas of Expertise: Portrait, Family, Event and Commercial Photography
Education: B.A. in Chinese Studies, Charles University in Prague, and B.A. in English for Business Administration, Thomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic
Language: Czech – mother tongue, English – fluent, Japanese – JLPT N3, Chinese – conversational
Favorite Thing About Living in Japan: There are many things I love about Japan – amazing food, the best service in the world, polite and kind people, clean environment, safety, high-tech toilets, but most of all I love how photogenic Japan is.
Favorite Place to Visit in Japan: Enoshima – I like everything about this place, the hike up the hill, marvelous views from the top with Fuji-san on the horizon, delicious treats on the way up, shrines, street performers, windy boat ride, and also there is always something new to discover in that small island.
BIO: Renata has a long relationship with Japan thanks to her husband who has worked for a Japanese company for more than 20 years. They lived together in Himeji for a year in 1999 – 2000 and came back for a visit several times before they moved to Yokohama in 2014. Since then Renata has been an active volunteer at Saint Maur International School where her sons are now in high school. Her photography career started shortly before coming to Japan in 2014. She first photographed Japanese landscapes and city life which resulted in an exhibition called “Charmed by Japan” in summer 2016. Her main focus shifted from nature and cities towards people in past several years and she enjoys being a portrait and family photographer mostly for the foreigner community in Yokohama.