"I’m a lifelong hardcore Nintendo fan".
You could say that Jake Kazdal stands out as he walks the streets of Kyoto on the way to the office of his company, 17-BIT. Thanks to his towering presence and a look that wouldn't be out of place in a metal band, he's not what you would call your "typical" Kyoto-based games developer – but then this is an individual whose career has been more eventful than most, and after more than a decade of life in Japan, he's assembled a team which creates that most unique of beasts: software designed with both eastern and western sensibilities in mind. While he might not look like your traditional resident, he insists that Kyoto – once the seat of Japanese imperial power – is a truly wonderful place to live.
"My spoken Japanese is pretty decent these days, at least casually, and if you can communicate here, people are just fantastic," Kazdal tells us. "They are even if you don’t speak Japanese too, but the ability to have conversations and communicate well is just such a joy. It’s been more than 10 years now and I love it as much as ever. There is a strong sense of community here, and not using a car in your daily life means much more interaction with neighbours, you run into friends all the time, and the small-town feel is very present even in a city as big as Kyoto. I honestly think it's one of the nicest places to live in the world. There is a thriving independent game design scene here, and close proximity to Nintendo and Capcom leads to many great nights out."
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You could say that Jake Kazdal stands out as he walks the streets of Kyoto on the way to the office of his company, 17-BIT. Thanks to his towering presence and a look that wouldn't be out of place in a metal band, he's not what you would call your "typical" Kyoto-based games developer – but then this is an individual whose career has been more eventful than most, and after more than a decade of life in Japan, he's assembled a team which creates that most unique of beasts: software designed with both eastern and western sensibilities in mind. While he might not look like your traditional resident, he insists that Kyoto – once the seat of Japanese imperial power – is a truly wonderful place to live.
"My spoken Japanese is pretty decent these days, at least casually, and if you can communicate here, people are just fantastic," Kazdal tells us. "They are even if you don’t speak Japanese too, but the ability to have conversations and communicate well is just such a joy. It’s been more than 10 years now and I love it as much as ever. There is a strong sense of community here, and not using a car in your daily life means much more interaction with neighbours, you run into friends all the time, and the small-town feel is very present even in a city as big as Kyoto. I honestly think it's one of the nicest places to live in the world. There is a thriving independent game design scene here, and close proximity to Nintendo and Capcom leads to many great nights out."
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