Late last month I did a presentation at the Japan Writers Conference in Kobe. The topic of my talk: writing on sensitive subjects here in Japan. I used that bit of activism that took place earlier this year (the successful petition to stop Fuji TV from airing a modern-day minstrel show, with Japanese performing black music adorned in blackface, white gloves, etc.) as the centerpiece of the talk.

The presentation was well received. I felt inspired standing there before my fellow Japan writers, not only because I had the opportunity to share ideas with other creative people living here, but because of what had happened earlier that day.

To put it briefly, Kobe happened!