Australian Magician who Made his Passion into a Living

Simon PAXTON

If you love magic and you love the Japanese language, then Simon PAXTON might be doing your dream job. You see, Simon is a bilingual Australian magician who has made his home in Japan.

Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Simon graduated with a degree in Asian Studies and came to Japan as a university exchange student to study Japanese. He went on to pass level one of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in 1999 and is now working towards the kanji kentei (Japanese Kanji Aptitude Test).

His language skills have been invaluable, allowing him to perform fluently in front of Japanese audiences and contributing to his success as a magician. But what made him want to become a magician in the first place?

“I became a magician because I love magic and I love performing for people. I love making people laugh and scream,” Simon says. “I was interested in magic as a child but there were very few magicians around where I lived so I didn’t really get into magic seriously until I came to Japan.”

As a professional magician Simon doesn’t lead a conventional 9 to 5 work life; one night he could be performing at a corporate function, the next day at a wedding. “Being a magician is unique in the sense that each month is very different from the next. I have performed all over Japan including Okinawa and Hokkaido. So, there is no telling where I will be,” Simon explains. “I work at a variety of different venues such as wedding parties, kid’s birthdays, corporate events, fairs, shopping malls, bars and restaurants. I even hosted a cable TV show for a while in which I incorporated magic into the show.”

Simon typically performs two kinds of magic; close-up magic and stand-up shows. With close-up magic he performs tricks right before an audience’s eyes, using items such as cards, coins and rope to deceive and delight. “Close up magic is just a great form of entertainment that can be done in almost any venue. I don’t require a table or anything that I don’t bring with me,” he says, explaining why it has proven so popular with Japanese audiences.

“Many people have seen magic on television, but actually seeing it right before your very eyes is a totally different and memorable experience.” His stand-up show is more of an interactive type of magic where he gets people on stage with him. “It is a lot of fun and gets the audience involved,” Simon says.

For Simon, building the skills required to be a good magician is an ongoing process, and there are several ways he learns magic. “I am kind of old fashioned and prefer to learn magic from books. Learning from books allows me to exercise my imagination and perform magic that is unique to me,” he says.

“Of course, I am also inspired by many magicians too, and I attend magic lectures and seek advice from those I respect. There is a lot to learn and it would be impossible to master everything in a single lifetime.”

Simon’s advice for anyone who would like to follow in his footsteps is to do what they love. And in that respect he is practicing what he preaches. “I love the Japanese language and magic, so performing magic in Japanese for me is a fantastic way to make a living. Getting paid to play is I think one of the secrets to a happy life,” he says.

Simon's website
www.aussiemagic.com
www.theweddingentertainer.com

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