Renate Leeb

New Year Leisure at Shounan Kaigan Beach in Hase, Kamakura

Wandering along the coast of Japan around the small town of Hase, a surfer\'s paradise of Tokyo residents, I discovered l e i s u r e in the Japanese society. It is a peaceful leisure without the pressure of time, to catch the next train or rush to work. It is New Year in Japan and three days of freedom for almost everyone. I started translating Japan with words in written translation, four decades before I learned to describe this country visually, with my photography. As a European and Japanese translator I find it soothing to be able to walk around my ways and visually pick up a culture so delicate and sensitive.

Photographer

Rena Leeb

I am a photographer and interpreter/translator of Japanese, German and English. Following my translation studies at Vienna University and Keio University Tokyo, I spent over 15 years working in Japan as a freelance interpreter.

Working for many years as a translator and interpreter made me realise that the spoken language and the written word alone cannot convey the full scope of our thoughts – Japan as my major working field remains almost impossible to explain. As a result, I added the visual language of photography to my portfolio, enabling me to share more profound insights into the Japanese soul.

I hold a diploma from the Viennese Institute of Graphic Design and Photography, “Die Graphische” and a Master’s degree in Translation in the languages Japanese, English and German.
Born in the Austrian lake district, I currently live, work, and study in Vienna as well as in Tokyo, both in the photo studio as well as outdoors.
I also have a home in Yokohama, where I regularly work on my photographic ideas.

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