Kris Kosaka - The Japan Times

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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

COMMUNITY

Mar 6, 2010

Authenticity is all for mountaineer

Within the majestic silence of a snow-covered mountain lies the hush of possibility. The dormant assurance of life; a mountain in winter signifies hope. Especially for Dan Junker, 47, who lives in a tiny village in the shadow of Mount Norikura.

COMMUNITY

Feb 27, 2010

Something to be said for Japan's gray zone

It was an a-ha moment, an epiphany light-bolting across her face. It flickered with incredulous certainty and ended with awareness in her eyes.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Feb 6, 2010

Journalist gives voice to voiceless

Shin Yamaaki is not familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but she has long understood the plight of the underdog. A chance experience in her 20s forged Yamaaki, 38, into who she is today: a woman who takes on global issues by giving voice to people who might go unheard.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jan 30, 2010

The culinary art of feeding the soul, with zest of Zen

Soothing sunlight fills the peaceful living space; arrayed atop a bamboo leaf, a slice of yuzu and mikan tart beckons, complemented by a steaming cup of herbal tea. In the Spartan abode of Valerie Duvauchelle, a French cooking teacher and zazen practitioner, nothing indicates her former life as an executive producer in the bustling midst of French cinema.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jan 23, 2010

Big changes from life's small lessons

Naotaka Aoki, a black belt in tae kwon do, stands tall among his students. A few days later, he stands at ease while leading 160 service members from the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base on a recent tour of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Fluent in English and Japanese, he laughs quickly in every language.

COMMUNITY

Dec 19, 2009

Group mentality — dressing to belong?

Japan's group mentality stumbles with frequent kicks from the Western mind.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Dec 12, 2009

Doctor who treats body and soul

Beauty is not only skin deep, according to Dr. Andrew Wong. With more than 30 years of experience in the medical world, Wong observes firsthand how the stresses and preoccupations of modern society adversely affect our aging processes and overall health. To Wong, mind and body can be united to achieve a quiet, but deep, beauty of soul.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Nov 28, 2009

Publican practices the art of beer

Love beer? Look to Bryan Baird, 42, an Ohio native living in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Imbibe a foamy one at his original brewery, The Fishmarket Taproom, but just don't call him a bartender. Baird prefers the term "pub."

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Nov 14, 2009

Finding wisdom in fire and earth

Mishima, nestled at the foot of Mount Fuji, is certainly not a center for yakimono (ceramics), one of the most revered arts in Asia. But it is home to Robert Yellin, one of the foremost English-speaking experts on the craft.

COMMUNITY

Oct 24, 2009

Seasonal rules permeate daily life in Japan

I grew up in Florida, and our year divides itself into seasons of bearable and unbearable. Even the most creative mind could hardly find illumination in topics around the weather, as there are only so many ways to say "the sun is shining with ferocious force today" or "the sweat is running into my eyeballs with alarming frequency."

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Oct 17, 2009

Artist of the cross-cultural landscape

The ocean symbolizes both a microcosm of living things and the metaphoric dream of unlimited possibilities. Gazing toward the horizon, Holly Thompson, writer and teacher, seems to find these truths reflected in that hazy line.

COMMUNITY

Sep 26, 2009

Look for the 'mounted knights' at undo-kai

It could be any weekend in September or October, in any town across Japan. Excitement hitches onto every breeze as teams face off against each other, brightly colored headbands proclaiming allegiance.

COMMUNITY

Sep 12, 2009

College head finds magic where he can

The Rev. Frank Howell, president of Sophia Junior College, Catholic priest, educator and debate team coach, finds serenity in an unexpected location amid the bustle of his busy life. He hops a train and heads to another land — Tokyo Disneyland.

COMMUNITY

Aug 29, 2009

Food penetrates all aspects of life in Japan

Autumn enters like a coy mistress. The nights no longer require closed windows and an air-con timer; a gentle breeze tiptoes through the screen with the grace of a lullaby. Hydrangea no longer paint the landscape in vivid blues and pinks; anemones now gently accessorize the green of late summer.

COMMUNITY

Aug 15, 2009

Surviving a Japanese summer boils down to the art of omiyage

, smells of sea salt and suntan lotion on the beach; these images of summer dominate the mental landscape of Shonan, just as the umi-no-ie summer beach houses physically transform the shoreline from Chigasaki to Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture. For me, however, one image reigns supreme during the months of leisure. Like many living in this land of obligation and retribution, summer really boils down to one essential half-baked reality: omiyage, a word most inadequately translated as souvenir in English.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Aug 15, 2009

Welsh writer finds inspiration in Japan

Fade in. Swansea, Wales. The scene opens on a hushed front room. A 6-year-old boy taps away on an old-fashioned typewriter, the keys punctuating his thoughts in the gathering shadows. It is past his bedtime, but he fights drowsy temptations, determined to write a novel while his parents sleep. Four hours, scant pages later, his eyes close, his arms drape across the keyboard.

Events / Events Outside Tokyo

Jul 24, 2009

Performing opera can easily be child's play

Kids Opera does not have to be a contradiction in terms, as the New National Theatre has proved since 2004. Artistic Director Thomas Novohradsky (2003-2007) first suggested the idea, and now Kids Opera is a regular summer feature. The NNTT takes the original music and text from a classic, reworking the opera to target elementary school students. Condensed into one act, this performance gives children — and parents — a chance to experience the art at a more accessible level.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jul 11, 2009

Brit muscles way to BayStar success

Young boys, bright-eyed and clutching miniature gloves, gather in ballparks and dream of their own futures as part of a professional team.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST

Jun 30, 2009

The slippery slope of shogakko

Although July's stickiness unglues most minds from study, it is at this time of year that mothers in Japan turn their thoughts toward school. Enrolling children in summer cram programs, visiting potential private schools, researching every possible option — all are occupations to fill the barefoot days of vacation with meticulous preparation for the eventual start of formal education: Japanese elementary school, or shogakko.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jun 20, 2009

Key ingredient in Japanese cuisine found in the mind

It started with a bowl of udon. Elizabeth Andoh, recognized expert on washoku and contributor to Gourmet magazine for over 30 years, cannot really discern a logical path to her success in the Japanese Epicurean kitchen.

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

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

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