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April 01, 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 / 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.
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Aug 17, 2019
The lifelong rebellion of children's author Eiko Kadono
Author of the beloved 'Kiki's Delivery Service' series about a young witch in training, Eiko Kadono continues to bring magic to the world of Japanese children's literature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 10, 2019
'The Memory Police': An island where a good memory won't do you any favors
In Yoko Ogawa's 'The Memory Police,' as memories of everyday objects are ripped away from society, one novelist sets out to conceal her editor — a person who cannot forget these missing objects — from a mysterious, state-sanctioned police force.
Japan's biggest beef bowl chain Sukiya to shut nearly 2,000 stores after rat and bug contamination
Zensho Holdings, operator of fast-food chain Sukiya, said it will close all of its stores in Japan, except for a small number in shopping centers, between Monday and Friday following recent contamination incidents.
Alert raised for volcano in southwestern Japan
Shinmoedake, a volcano located between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, in November 2019
Japan considers all possible options as Trump threatens new auto tariffs
Subaru cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama on Thursday.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.
Who among the opposition would join the ruling coalition?
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enters his office in Tokyo on Friday.
Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air
Scenes like this snow-covered bridge leading to the village of Shirakawa-go are what make the Three-Star Road worth traveling — its name notwithstanding.
Recent spate of wildfires in Japan and South Korea linked to climate change
Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.

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