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April 28, 2025
 

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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.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 11, 2020
Japanese books to get you through a lockdown
With "staying in" now the new "going out," housebound activities have become officially the cool thing to do. But what if you’re stuck for a good book? Read on to see four of our critics’ top reads for an extended period of self-isolation.
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Mar 28, 2020
'The Salaryman' review: Spilling the secrets of Japan's everyman
Alongside its humor, Michael Thuresson's recent memoir, "The Salaryman," provides an insightful look at Japan's corporate workforce. In 2008, Thuresson was a 32-year-old product manager at a small LA software startup who suddenly landed a high-paying job with a Japanese corporation of over 50,000 employees....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Mar 21, 2020
Momoko Ishii: Shaping Japanese children's literature for the modern era
Dedicated to children's literature since her youth, Momoko Ishii authored and translated dozens of books, and her tireless advocacy changed the way postwar society valued children's literature for decades to come.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 14, 2020
'Factory Girls': Verses for the workers, who toiled all day long
Takako Arai's newest poetry anthology in English, 'Factory Girls,' takes readers into the vanishing world of Japan's textile industry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 29, 2020
'The Only Gaijin in the Village' offers laugh-out-loud lessons from Japan's proud countryside
Iain Maloney's 'The Only Gaijin in the Village' is a thought-provoking, lively examination of one immigrant's quest to create a new home outside his country of birth.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Feb 15, 2020
Shuntaro Tanikawa: Acclaimed poet, beloved children's author
The best in children's literature earns devout adult fans too, and perhaps no other Japanese writer embodies such cross-generational popularity than Shuntaro Tanikawa.
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Feb 8, 2020
'The Chronicles of Lord Asunaro': Period drama, modern satire
One of the newest novellas out from Red Circle Minis, "The Chronicles of Lord Asunaro" by Kanji Hanawa, covers far more ground than its size might suggest.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Jan 18, 2020
Rieko Nakagawa: From 'Guri and Gura' to Studio Ghibli
Rieko Nakagawa, born in 1935 in Sapporo, was working as a teacher in a small nursery school near Komazawa Park when she wrote her first children's book.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 4, 2020
Books to get you in the mood for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
In this grand year of Olympic celebration, here are the books that view sport authentically, acknowledging both the very best and worst of humanity.
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Dec 7, 2019
For children's book author Mitsumasa Anno, pictures speak louder than words
Travel around the world with Mitsumasa Anno's iconic 'Anno's Journey' series, which introduces children to countries and customs through meticulous illustrations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 30, 2019
'Travels with a Writing Brush': 1,000 years of travel writing, united by a poetic thread
From 'The Tale of Genji' to Matsuo Basho, Meredith McKinney travels across Japan through 1,000 years of Japanese poetry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Nov 16, 2019
Keiko Sena: Whimsical books with a hint of horror
Keiko Sena's children's books, with their collage-like, simple illustrations, have been bestsellers for decades. This year, a special art exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of her first publication.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 9, 2019
Back to 'The Factory' in a new era of meaningless work
Hiroko Oyamada's award-winning debut novel, "The Factory," measures out in terse detail an indictment of contemporary work culture. Set in modern Japan where the norms of underpay and overwork are well-known, the novella evokes the worst of the Silicon Valley-type tech campuses and asks the question:...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Nov 2, 2019
Our critics' favorite Japanese books of the decade
As 2020 approaches, The Japan Times' book reviewers look back at a decade of literature and their favorite and most impactful books written about Japan or by Japanese writers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Oct 26, 2019
'Cats of the Louvre': A storied museum reveals its secrets
In this surreal work by Taiyo Matsumoto, a small band of stray cats take refuge inside the attic of the Louvre. Their adventures and interactions with the humans of the Louvre unfold in connected chapters of 'secrets.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Oct 19, 2019
Naoko Takeuchi: 'Sailor Moon's' strong-willed guardian of girls manga
Naoko Takeuchi's 'Sailor Moon' is one of the most popular manga for girls of all time, and 'beautiful guardian warriors' remains a global trend across a wide spectrum of adolescent literature today.
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Oct 12, 2019
'Noon: An Anthology of Short Poems': Wit and wisdom in 14 lines or fewer
In 'Noon: An Anthology of Short Poems,' editor Philip Rowland shows there's more to the short form poetry genre than haiku or tanka.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Sep 14, 2019
Mimei Ogawa: The father of modern Japanese children's literature
Often referred to as the Japanese Hans Christian Andersen, Mimei Ogawa's (1882-1961) numerous children's stories and fairy tales elevated the literary genre from simplistic tales to nuanced, humanist works.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 3, 2019
The Royal Opera's Vittorio Grigolo is on a mission to bring opera to the masses
Forget its reputation as art for the culturally elite. If Italian superstar tenor Vittorio Grigolo has his way, modern opera will soon take its place as pure entertainment for the masses.
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Aug 31, 2019
'Half of Each Other': Grief, marriage and tragedy
'Half of Each Other,' the newest novel from the prolific author and director, Roger Pulvers, considers how love, desire and grief intertwine in the aftermath of tragedy.
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Japan to resist Trump efforts to form trade bloc against China
As Japan gears up for the trade talks, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also seeking to cushion the blow that the U.S. tariffs may have on the domestic economy.
As many as nine dead after driver plows into Vancouver festival crowd
An ambulance is parked at the site of the Lapu Lapu day festival, where a vehicle drove into a crowd killing several people in Vancouver on Saturday.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
Amid uncertain tariffs, is now the time to buy a new iPhone?
An Apple store in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in September. Prices for the newest iPhone models start at around ¥100,000 ($700) in Japan.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

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