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November 22, 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.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 22, 2016
Andy Blankenbeuhler on directing and choreographing 'Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat'
What were the particular challenges of reworking "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"? From the very start it was decided we would not be using a children's choir. Often times the show is told to young children on stage, and that device becomes the window into the piece. It took me a little...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 21, 2016
'Joseph' cuts a cool dash
Embrace the summer heat with a rousing musical journey across the arid deserts of the Book of Genesis, as Theatre Orb in Tokyo presents a revival of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," the first publicly performed musical by those masters of the genre, Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2016
Novelist Hideo Furukawa views the Fukushima disaster through nonhuman eyes
After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, critically acclaimed writer Hideo Furukawa experienced an unsettling "imagination meltdown."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2016
'Phoenix': Osamu Tezuka's epoch-spanning manga masterpiece
"Hi no Tori" ("Phoenix" ) is a 12-part masterpiece by manga legend Osamu Tezuka. Started in 1954, Tezuka worked on the manga until his death in 1989. Acclaimed for both its story and style, "Phoenix" rises above the greatness of Tezuka's "Astro Boy" or "Black Jack" — it was, in translator Frederik...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 28, 2016
'Japaneseness: A Guide to 76 Values and Virtues'
Love it or hate it, Yoji Yamakuse's explanation of the concepts fundamental to Japanese behavior, "Japaneseness: A Guide to Values and Virtues," deserves a read.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 24, 2016
The Royal Ballet brings two classic romances set to sparkle afresh
In the competitive melee of world-class dance, the Royal Ballet keeps on its toes. Since 2011, when Christopher Wheeldon's groundbreaking "Alice in Wonderland" became its first new, full-length work in 16 years, the company based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, has been continually...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 30, 2016
'Barbed Wire Baseball' brings the story of Kenichi Zenimura to life
"Barbed Wire Baseball" is an informative and imaginative retelling of the true story of Kenichi "Zeni" Zenimura (1900-68), the father of Japanese-American baseball.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Apr 3, 2016
An open letter to Japanese womankind
Some advice on how to take the best parts of the stereotypes without becoming one yourself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 22, 2016
Dance icon sets a challenge
Running with the bulls during the annual San Fermin fiesta in the Spanish city of Pamplona, or joining a traditional Ainu festival on Lake Akan in Hokkaido, may seem unusual ways for a choreographer to research — but not if the artist in question is Motoko Hirayama.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 12, 2016
'High-Stakes Schooling' paints a troubling picture of Japan's education system
In "High-Stakes Schooling," an important book for anyone interested in Japanese education within a global context, U.S. professor of education Christopher Bjork offers a comprehensive and comparative look into Japan's recent educational reforms. Bjork analyzes the impact of the controversial and deliberate...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Mar 5, 2016
'Requiem' chronicles the thoughts of a Japanese girl in the ashes of World War II
Eavesdropping on a dying girl's inner monologue makes for a painful but powerful reading experience in this classic of Japanese young adult literature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 27, 2016
Tokyo's literature festival resurfaces
The Tokyo International Literary Festival got off to a good start. Both the inaugural 2013 event and the 2014 edition were successful, an auspicious beginning to forging cultural and artistic connections between Eastern and Western writers on a global stage. But since the festival's forced hiatus in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 6, 2016
Once Upon a Time in Japan
"Once Upon a Time in Japan" is an ideal introduction to Japanese folktales. Published by Tuttle with NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation, the stories in this children's storybook were chosen from a popular series produced by Radio Japan, NHK World's radio service broadcast globally in 18 different languages....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Jan 23, 2016
Barefoot Gen
With the recent announcement by North Korean authorities that they had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, Keiji Nakazawa's classic anti-nuclear manga, "Barefoot Gen," once again deserves a full reading — both for newcomers or for those revisiting its brilliance.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 26, 2015
Flipping back through the good reads of 2015
Before we turn the page on the year, here's a selection of our reviewers' favorite books.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 28, 2015
The 'Secrets of the World's Healthiest Children' are mostly common sense
Tokyo-born Naomi Moriyama, whose family owns a farm in rural Japan, and William Doyle explain the "Secrets of the World's Healthiest Children" in a tone that is more conversational than scientific. For someone acquainted with Japanese food culture, the book feels a tad repetitive, but there is no doubt...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 24, 2015
Guillem bids adieu to her life of dance
Superstar dancer Sylvie Guillem has come full circle.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 21, 2015
Interpreting the values instilled in Japanese children with 'Teaching Embodied'
Even for those without children, "Teaching Embodied" offers cultural insights that explain many fascinating details of Japan's group society. From amae (dependence) to omoiyari (empathy) and even passivity — how the Japanese prefer mimamoru (watching and guarding) to interfering or intervening.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 28, 2015
OVERSEAs Japanese show solidarity with activists back home
OVERSEAs is a loose collective that aims to unite Japanese-speaking people who want to support specific domestic causes from outside the country.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 24, 2015
Preserving the Japanese Way: A guide to traditional fermentation and culture in Japan
Nancy Singleton Hachisu, a local slow food advocate and writer for The Japan Times, has released her newest cookbook, "Preserving the Japanese Way," which follows the winning formula of her first book, "Japanese Farm Food."
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

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By Kathryn Wortley

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