Alex is a graduate student based in Kyoto since 2024, but has lived in the surrounding area for close to 9 years. He's currently researching underground Japanese cinema from the 1960s at Kyoto University. Getting interested in Japanese cinema at an early age, particularly Japanese period pieces, the role of the nation's cultural history as represented by its cinema left a deep impression and fueled his passion for Japan's local histories. Kyoto in particular has been the setting for some of Japan's most famous films, and its past as a major site for film production made the area perfect for Alex to further pursue his research interests. Beyond the cinematic, Kyoto's local shrines and temples provide him with much needed respite from the stresses of academic life, and the city's restaurants and bars offer him essential connection to the local community.