Hiroaki Sato - The Japan Times

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Hiroaki Sato

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Hiroaki Sato

A Japan Times columnist since 2000, Hiroaki Sato has won prizes for his translation of poetry (PEN American Center, Japan-US Friendship Commission). A paperback edition of his "Legends of the Samurai" has recently appeared. He is now working on a second collection of samurai tales with their origins.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN

Sep 8, 2018

Finding beauty amid defeat: Jan Morris' 'Battleship Yamato: Of War, Beauty and Irony'

In this slim, beautifully illustrated book, historian Jan Morris details an account of the battleship Yamato's final, suicidal run near Okinawa at the end of World War II.

CULTURE / Books

Mar 24, 2018

'Portrait of Ohno Yoshito': A deeper look at butoh's mythical figure

Here, Inuhiko Yomota takes on Yoshito Ohno (born 1938), the "mythical figure" of butoh — a genre so undefinable that poet Miyoshi Toyoichiro once called it "a dance, performance, acting, or whatever you like." Donald Richie (1924-2013) wrote of his friend, and founder of butoh, Tatsumi Hijikata (1928-86),...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Books

Oct 28, 2017

Reading to the beat of Kazuko Shiraishi, the black sheep of Japan's poets

For the past half-century Kazuko Shiraishi has represented Japan in a number of international poetry festivals and conferences — in at least 28 countries, she tells me in a recent interview.

COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Oct 26, 2017

'Comfort women' issue is far from black and white

Despite widespread perceptions, not all 'comfort women' were coerced into that existence, and not all were treated badly.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Oct 7, 2017

Unending ruthless air raids

There are many sources to learn the facts behind the world's unceasing aerial bombardment.

COMMENTARY / Japan

Aug 26, 2017

Returning from Taiwan after Japan's defeat

August is a time for remembering much about Japan both before and after World War II.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Books

Aug 20, 2017

Tracing James Lee Byars' time in Japan

I first met James Lee Byars in Kyoto in early 1967 and, at his invitation, participated in his "performance." At the time I didn't know that he'd been back and forth between Japan and the U.S. for nearly a decade already. I was also unaware that he had already done one-man shows and taken part in independent...

COMMENTARY / World

Jul 1, 2017

The foulest crime, finally brought down?

Idealized notions of America's past are coming into question.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / Japan

Jun 17, 2017

Rand Castile, distinguished Asian art curator

Rand Castile, who passed away last month, was a noted curator of Japanese art.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / Japan

May 27, 2017

Burton Watson, noted translator, remembered

Burton Watson, the foremost translator of Chinese classics and poetry into English, chose to live much of his long life in Japan.

COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Apr 21, 2017

Terrorism brouhaha, then and now

A person's definition of terrorism usually depends on what side of the fence they're on.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Apr 3, 2017

Military justice, revenge and an albatross

Japan has produced a great many martyrs, not least in the wake of its defeat in World War II.

COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Feb 27, 2017

Indiscriminate bombing and legal judgment

Indiscriminate or otherwise, aerial bombing remains the preferred choice of warfare for the United States, which dropped 26,171 bombs in 2016 alone.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Jan 22, 2017

Reversing Japanese names for Western use?

When did the Japanese start reversing the family-personal name order for Western consumption?

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Dec 28, 2016

What's in a surname? It depends on who you ask

Some women want to keep their maiden names after marriage, yet many others choose not to.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 17, 2016

When a 'sick joke' is elevated to the presidency

Donald Trump as president will be a disaster, and it won't be short-lived.

COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Oct 21, 2016

Anthem refuseniks, and ancient legends

Japan knows all about people taking a public stand by refusing to rise for the national anthem.

Japan Times

COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Sep 27, 2016

'No refuge could save the hireling and slave'

Is the U.S. national anthem racist or are the lyrics of the third stanza merely misunderstood?

COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Aug 28, 2016

The longest U.S. conflict and defining a war

Figuring out when wars start and end isn't always as obvious as it might seem.

COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK

Jul 29, 2016

Terror, terror on the wall, who's the biggest of all?

The word 'terrorist' can and should be applied to a wider range of killers.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

By Alex K.T. Martin

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