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May 21, 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 / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Nov 3, 2018
'The Old Bamboo-Hewer's Story': Deeply ingrained in the Japanese cultural imagination
...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Oct 20, 2018
Fierce and inventive, Yuko Tsushima's oeuvre goes beyond the 'I-novel' genre
Early on, Yuko Tsushima broke the boundaries of the traditional Japanese I-novel, giving voice to a voiceless minority by authentically depicting the struggles of single mothers in society as a single mother herself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Oct 13, 2018
Nahoko Uehashi's 'The Beast Player': Fantasy grounded in nature
Beautifully written, thought-provoking and utterly immersive, Nahoko Uehashi's 'The Beast Player' uses the genre of fantasy to question the political realities of human tyranny over the natural world.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 6, 2018
'Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts': Deliciously sinister, beautifully illustrated supernatural tales
Hard-boiled, multifaceted writer Joel Rose paired up with the late Anthony Bourdain to pen 'Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts,' an illustrated collection of fright and food evoking the Japanese kaidan (ghost story) tradition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Sep 29, 2018
John Okada's 'No-No Boy': Once overlooked, now a classic tale of identity
'No-No Boy,' a 1957 novel by Japanese-American writer John Okada, unravels the complicated, varied perspectives of Japanese-Americans in the aftermath of World War II under the shadow of the internment camps of the American northwest.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Sep 15, 2018
Mieko Kawakami: A writer's writer who is at once highly readable and immensely popular
From her distinctive style to her choice of topics, Mieko Kawakami is both a writer's writer and an entertainer, a thinker and constantly evolving stylist who manages to be highly readable and immensely popular.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 25, 2018
'Hybrid Child': Enter a sprawling excursion into the unknown
For any fan of speculative fiction, Hybrid Child presents a sprawling, imaginative excursion into the unknown that also predicts current familiar thematic questionings on gender politics or weaponized robots.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Aug 18, 2018
Fumiko Enchi: A critical advocate of female empowerment
In the midst of Showa Era (1926-89) Japan, with patriarchy dominating and imperialism rising, a young female playwright, Fumiko Enchi (1905-86), started a literary career that would eventually lead her to become a passionate advocate for female empowerment, while casting a critical, penetrating eye over...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 11, 2018
'The Penguin Book of Haiku': Morsels of poetry from the mountaintop to the gutter
According to author and translator Adam L. Kern, there's a pervasive myth that haiku is only nature poetry, that it is always serious and connected to Zen, that there are hardly any women haiku poets. But haiku covers far greater ground.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 1, 2018
In Yokohama, they'll be dancing in the streets
Summer is a time for dancing. Across the country there are countless local matsuri (festivals) in which a regionally specific odori (dance) is the main attraction and, of course, there are the many outdoor music festivals that allow people to let loose and move.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Jul 22, 2018
'Miracle' lands Japan-based Bangladeshi doctor with a teaching career once dreamed of but denied
Sabina Mahmood is an associate professor and medical educator at Okayama University, and mentors incoming International Baccalaureate graduates and foreign students at the university.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Jul 21, 2018
Fiercely intelligent and unstoppably prolific, Hiromi Ito is a modern literary provocateur
Love her or hate her — and her work tends to provoke strong passions in critics and fans alike — Hiromi Ito is a defining force in Japan's literary world.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 27, 2018
The mind games of choreographer Philippe Decoufle
Choreographer Philippe Decoufle describes his new circus-inspired show, "Nouvelles Pieces Courtes" ("New Short Pieces"), as a "sort of visual and physical mind game."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 23, 2018
'The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories': Memorable shorts from the greats of modern literature
From Haruki Murakami to Natsume Soseki, 'The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories' serves up a feast of literature, a smorgasbord of over 30 widely varied modern Japanese writers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
Jun 16, 2018
Danly's 'In the Shade of Spring Leaves' brings writer Ichiyo Higuchi's genius into the sun
Hailed as a true poet and lauded for her humanistic perspective in depicting the seedy underside of the Meiji Restoration, the test of time puts paid to Ichiyo Higuchi's (1872-96) lasting influence.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
May 26, 2018
'Of Dogs and Walls': A concentrated hit of Yuko Tsushima
Pick up this small chapbook for a double dose of classic Japanese short fiction from Yuko Tsushima.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / WORKS BY JAPANESE WOMEN
May 12, 2018
Where would we be without the words of Japanese women?
Often overlooked, female writers in Japan, such as Ichiyo Higuchi and Raicho Hiratsuka, have a staying power that surpasses their male contemporaries. To help amplify these female voices, over the next few months we'll be highlighting some of the lesser read in translation but equally deserving Japanese female writers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 28, 2018
'Poet to Poet' finds an English voice for Japan's female poets
A new bilingual poetry publication presents a range of fresh, female voices and satisfies the art of the genre in both languages.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 14, 2018
'Lion Cross Point': A child's abandonment, cushioned by hope and quiet resolve
Lion Cross Point' is a novel of intersections: of memory and dream, past and future, rural and urban, of innocence and tragedy. Masatsugu Ono's poignant tale spins out in a child-driven stream of consciousness, unwinding from a series of shrouded traumatic events.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 31, 2018
'Territory of Light' is a timely translation that sheds light on Japan's marginalized
Acclaimed novelist Yuko Tsushima spent her lifetime reflecting light on the shadowed voices in Japan, inspired by her own experiences as a single mother facing the censure of a traditionally patriarchal society. In her later years, Tsushima explored the marginalized in Japanese history, writing from...
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

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