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April 30, 2024
 

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Kris Kosaka

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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 / Books
Aug 13, 2022
A new life is born from a lie in Emi Yagi's 'Diary of a Void'
Emi Yagi's debut novel, which won the prestigious Osamu Dazai Prize in 2020, offers a penetrating look at the pressures of Japan's work culture and gender expectations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 17, 2022
‘Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight’: Riku Onda's layered novel deftly juggles genres
Riku Onda's novel shifts from murder mystery to psychological thriller to philosophical dialogue, examining ideas of attraction, truth and memory.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 12, 2022
'All the Lovers in the Night' ignites a spark of hope for lonely hearts
Author Mieko Kawakami imagines love reflecting the properties of light in her latest English release about the universality of loneliness.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 8, 2022
Kotaro Isaka's killer instinct for a rollicking good time
The 'Three Assassins' author skillfully plays with the thriller genre, mixing literary fiction with high-octane fun.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 27, 2022
‘Don't Worry’: Take a breather from the corporate grind with Zen lessons
Shunmyo Masuno's book of compassionate teachings addresses those who find it difficult to relieve stress, specifically the people caught up in the busyness of corporate life.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 20, 2022
‘A Fictional Commons’: Rethinking alternatives to capitalism with literature
Michael Bourdaghs compellingly shows how influential literary figure Natsume Soseki imbued his classic works with challenges to the constrictive, patriarchal systems of property control.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 17, 2022
‘Woman Running in the Mountains’ carries on the literary legacy of Yuko Tsushima
Geraldine Harcourt's road to translating Yuko Tsushima's stories parallels the writer's artistic conceits: a fiercely independent woman determined to construct her own path.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 13, 2022
‘Of Arcs and Circles’: Step into the fertile imagination of a garden expert
Landscape artist Marc Peter Keane's collection of essays experiments with form and offers practical observations as well as metaphysical musings.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 5, 2022
The dystopian society of ‘Monkey Man’ delivers a surreal sci-fi parable
Takuji Ichikawa's novella presents a fully realized world within its short span, with connections and contrasts to our world that are at turns bold and subtle.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 27, 2021
'Colorful’: A second chance at a full life
Besides the requisite recently deceased soul and guardian angel, “Colorful,” Eto Mori’s English-language debut released on July 20 from Counterpoint Press, offers a unique take on the reincarnation trope.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 27, 2021
‘The Baseball Widow’: A moving read on isolation
After a succession of young adult novels, Shikoku-based writer Suzanne Kamata returns to adult fiction with “The Baseball Widow,” out from Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing on Oct. 5.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 19, 2021
'The Book of Form and Emptiness': Ruth Ozeki’s inquisitive side is still on point
An award-winning author with four titles and two film credits under her belt, Ruth Ozeki’s greatest talent may be her ability to ask the right questions. Her fifth novel, "The Book of Form and Emptiness," demonstrates that her inquisitive side is still on point.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 15, 2021
‘Soul Lanterns’ approaches Hiroshima's past with childlike curiosity and compassion
Shaw Kuzki's middle grade novel takes place 25 years after the atomic bombings, with middle schoolers seeking out memories of World War II from their community to reclaim their history.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 9, 2021
'Black Box' shines a light on shadowy realities of sexual assault in Japan
Shiori Ito's memoir highlights shortcomings of justice for survivors in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The World of Translators
Jun 20, 2021
Morgan Giles: ‘I’m astounded by the sense of community among literary translators’
The World of Translators series wraps up with Morgan Giles, whose first full-length work, Yu Miri's “Tokyo Ueno Station,” won the National Book Award for translated literature in 2020.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 17, 2021
‘Three Japanese Buddhist Monks’ explores the merits of reclusion
Penguin's latest addition to its “Great Ideas” series features three texts that delve into the evolving revelations of Japanese medieval Buddhist thought.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 27, 2021
Mieko Kawakami's 'Heaven': The world as seen through the eyes of bullied children
Mieko Kawakami examines violence and power in her latest English-language release.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The World of Translators
May 16, 2021
Masatsugu Ono: ‘I always feel for those on the periphery of society’
Translator and Francophile Masatsugu Ono draws on stories of his hometown in Oita Prefecture to inform his writing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 25, 2021
Ginny Tapley Takemori: ‘Translation is a community’
The “Convenience Store Woman” and “Earthlings” translator works to support writers and translators through a collective she started with colleagues Lucy North and Allison Markin Powell.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 18, 2021
‘At the End of the Matinee’: Love and longing in the recent past strike a chord
In his novel, Keiichiro Hirano provides a detailed view of politics, culture and economics at the start of the 21st century alongside a story about star-crossed lovers.
When will Japan intervene to support the yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki has reiterated the government's readiness to take an appropriate action as the yen continues to slide against the U.S. dollar.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
Yen rebounds strongly after first slide past ¥160 since 1990
The yen dropped to ¥160.245 per dollar on Monday before heading into the other direction to ¥155.01 amid speculation of an intervention by Japanese currency authorities.
JAL cancels international flight after captain gets drunk at Dallas hotel
A Japan Airlines' flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled last week after its captain got drunk at a local hotel.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.

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