With an average monthly income of just 150,000 yen, Maiko Morimoto is the exception among graduates of the University of Tokyo's law department, which has turned out a slew of elite bureaucrats and lawyers.
Morimoto, 25, spends the income that she receives from several part-time jobs not only on her living expenses, but also on her activities as a freelance video journalist covering Asia.
"I am interested in reporting what I see and feel in Asia through video footage, and I hope I can learn something from on-site observations," she said.