Mark Schilling is feeling a bit bleary-eyed. His son -- a freshman in media studies at Glasgow University, unused to the time difference between Europe and Japan -- had rung from Scotland around 5 a.m.
You will know Mark's name, of course. He has written for this paper for years in a freelance capacity -- just one of any number of commissions for books and columns that have kept rice bowls filled and put kids through schools. Under the constant pressure of deadlines, he does on occasion "feel as if I'm on a hamster wheel."
His latest published offering is "The Yakuza Movie Book: A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films." With director and actor profiles, plus reviews of 123 movies, it fills yet another niche in popular Japanese culture for fans the world over. "Yes, it is amazing that no one thought to do it before. But that's what I try to do -- meet a need."