author

 
Menu
Search
 
May 21, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Kris Kosaka

Meta

Kris Kosaka
Kris Kosaka, a resident of Japan since 1996, contributes regularly to The Japan Times. She is a lecturer at Meiji Gakuin University in the Faculty of International Studies.
For Kris Kosaka's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 25, 2016
'Contact' enters realms of enigma
The great 18th-century French writer and philosopher Voltaire famously said, "Illusion is the first of all pleasures." His 55-year-old compatriot Philippe Decoufle would probably agree.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 15, 2016
'The First Modern Japanese': Donald Keene pays tribute to poet Takuboku Ishikawa
In "The First Modern Japanese," Donald Keene pays tribute to Japanese poet Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912), who he calls "an extraordinary man, at times shameless but always absorbing and, in the end, difficult to forget." Though I'll take his poetry gladly, I struggle to revere this shameless man.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 17, 2016
'Underground in Japan': Life as an illegal migrant in '90s Yokohama
First published in 1992, "Underground in Japan" is Rey Ventura's account of his life as a illegal day laborer in the construction areas and docks of Yokohama's Kotobukicho district.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 10, 2016
'The Eternal Zero': Naoki Hyakuta's best-selling novel reveals the transformative power of war
Revisit the end of World War II with Japan's all-time best-selling paperback, "The Eternal Zero" by Naoki Hyakuta, originally published in Japanese in 2006. Although the movie adaptation sparked controversy with its nationalistic ending, the book does not glorify war. Hyakuta's storytelling structure,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 27, 2016
Shiraishi isn't afraid to ask the tough questions about life
August honors the dead in Japan, so it's fitting that Kazufumi Shiraishi's raw discourse on mortality makes its English debut this month. Originally published in 2008, "Me Against the World" breaks from Shiraishi's fictional works, offering the author's undiluted musings on life. As told The Japan Times...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 23, 2016
Flamenco fusion set to fire up Tokyo
Surrender to the heat of September as the Antonio Gades Company brings its sultry blend of ballet and flamenco to Tokyo, showcasing three of its classic works in two separate programs at Bunkamura's magnificent Orchard Hall.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 6, 2016
The life of Osamu Tezuka, Japan’s ‘god of manga’
Osamu Tezuka, the "god of manga," was born in 1928 in Osaka Prefecture. Though he showed early promise as a young artist and storyteller, no one could have imagined how successful he would become. Tezuka is a hero in Japan, a pioneer on equal standing with the world's other great illustrators and animators,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Jul 2, 2016
'The Anatomy of Dependence': Excavating the foundations of Japanese behavior
Takeo Doi's "The Anatomy of Dependence," first published in 1971 and translated into English two years later, remains one of the definitive books about Japanese behavior.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 25, 2016
Gary Snyder: Asia's heavy toll on nature
Enter the mind of American poet and scholar Gary Snyder and watch as time pulls back, perspectives shift and an epoch passes in a single blink. His newest book of prose, "The Great Clod," is a series of essays on Asia's ecological history, combining culture and politics in a way that is, unsurprisingly,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 25, 2016
'Singular Rebellion': the award-winning story of a salaryman gone wild
...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 22, 2016
Andy Blankenbeuhler on directing and choreographing 'Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat'
What were the particular challenges of reworking "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"? From the very start it was decided we would not be using a children's choir. Often times the show is told to young children on stage, and that device becomes the window into the piece. It took me a little...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 21, 2016
'Joseph' cuts a cool dash
Embrace the summer heat with a rousing musical journey across the arid deserts of the Book of Genesis, as Theatre Orb in Tokyo presents a revival of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," the first publicly performed musical by those masters of the genre, Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2016
Novelist Hideo Furukawa views the Fukushima disaster through nonhuman eyes
After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, critically acclaimed writer Hideo Furukawa experienced an unsettling "imagination meltdown."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2016
'Phoenix': Osamu Tezuka's epoch-spanning manga masterpiece
"Hi no Tori" ("Phoenix" ) is a 12-part masterpiece by manga legend Osamu Tezuka. Started in 1954, Tezuka worked on the manga until his death in 1989. Acclaimed for both its story and style, "Phoenix" rises above the greatness of Tezuka's "Astro Boy" or "Black Jack" — it was, in translator Frederik...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 28, 2016
'Japaneseness: A Guide to 76 Values and Virtues'
Love it or hate it, Yoji Yamakuse's explanation of the concepts fundamental to Japanese behavior, "Japaneseness: A Guide to Values and Virtues," deserves a read.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 24, 2016
The Royal Ballet brings two classic romances set to sparkle afresh
In the competitive melee of world-class dance, the Royal Ballet keeps on its toes. Since 2011, when Christopher Wheeldon's groundbreaking "Alice in Wonderland" became its first new, full-length work in 16 years, the company based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, has been continually...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 30, 2016
'Barbed Wire Baseball' brings the story of Kenichi Zenimura to life
"Barbed Wire Baseball" is an informative and imaginative retelling of the true story of Kenichi "Zeni" Zenimura (1900-68), the father of Japanese-American baseball.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Apr 3, 2016
An open letter to Japanese womankind
Some advice on how to take the best parts of the stereotypes without becoming one yourself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 22, 2016
Dance icon sets a challenge
Running with the bulls during the annual San Fermin fiesta in the Spanish city of Pamplona, or joining a traditional Ainu festival on Lake Akan in Hokkaido, may seem unusual ways for a choreographer to research — but not if the artist in question is Motoko Hirayama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 12, 2016
'High-Stakes Schooling' paints a troubling picture of Japan's education system
In "High-Stakes Schooling," an important book for anyone interested in Japanese education within a global context, U.S. professor of education Christopher Bjork offers a comprehensive and comparative look into Japan's recent educational reforms. Bjork analyzes the impact of the controversial and deliberate...
Rare sequel to 'My Neighbor Totoro' to play at Cannes
A screening of "Mei and the Baby Cat Bus," which is being billed as a "mini-sequel" to the Studio Ghibli classic "My Neighbor Totoro," is set to take place at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
America wasn’t made for walking, and it’s killing them
A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
Why half of Japan's cities are at risk of disappearing in 100 years
A couple looks out onto the Fukuoka nightscape. Due to its distance from Tokyo and its close proximity to South Korea and China, professor Tomoya Mori believes that Fukuoka is one of the few metropolitan regions of Japan that will see some form of growth in the decades to come.
Japan concerned over U.S. officials' remarks on atomic bombings
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks to reporters during a news conference in Washington on Thursday.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
The politicians moving Japan forward on climate
While not the most outspoken politician on the issue, digital minister Taro Kono has a track record of being serious in his commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Seoul's eclectic Art OnO shines light on Japan's artists and galleries
Art OnO, which took place from April 19 to 21 in Seoul, featured a modest number of 36 participating galleries from 15 countries.
Want to be a voice actor? Stay 'true to the character'
SungWon Cho is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience portraying characters in anime, cartoons and video games.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle
Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER