Japan has long attracted artistic types from around the world, but support for such communities has improved remarkably over the past few decades.
Evidence of this trend is clear from the roster at the annual Japan Writers Conference (JWC), where the English-language writing community is set to gather, via Zoom for the second consecutive year, from Oct. 15 to 17. This year’s program features a slate of talks and hands-on workshops from a list of notable poets, novelists, translators, editors and journalists.
While the work of producing art in a foreign country can be as alienating as it is exciting, the steady development of collaborative communities throughout Japan has contributed to a flourishing environment for creative writers and an impressive body of written work, from best-selling thrillers to award-winning poetry.