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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
COMMUNITY
Aug 7, 2010
Kamakura expat at one with all Buddhist deities
Mark Schumacher's home in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, requires a journey, both on foot and for the spirit.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 24, 2010
Seattle pair put sake on local map
Japan abounds with foreigners attracted by its cultural opportunities, who live in the country and eventually make a livelihood by specializing in attributes the country has to offer. Scattered across the world, their counterparts reside in towns in Europe or America, those who, after spending time in...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 10, 2010
Architect wants to end nail-hammer cycle
Miwa Mori, president of Key Architects, thinks a lot about nails, both as part of her profession and as her philosophy about life.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 3, 2010
Witnessing over a century of history
When alone, Hedwig Koh's eyes gaze perpetually into the past. Even as a child, she looked off into the distance: "I spent most of my childhood upstairs at the attic window, looking out at the view, imagining far away places."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jun 26, 2010
Global multitasking: it's in her DNA
Miho Natori can recite nursery rhymes in Thai, speak German fluently, converse over coffee in English and is native in Japanese. For this 40-year-old graphic designer, life kaleidoscopes world to world, from Japan, to the orphanage she helped start with her mother in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and to Germany,...
CULTURE / Books
Jun 20, 2010
Untangling the elusive past across time
The first 115 pages of Marie Mutsuki Mockett's debut novel, "Picking Bones From Ash," incredibly heightened my anticipation of a great, literary read. Then the crash came, splintering my expectations from the weight of disgruntlement.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
May 25, 2010
Expat dancer Hibari Misora-inspired
Chris Chavez maintains an upbeat outlook about life in Japan but leaves the rosy-tinted view for idealists or those newly arrived. This Mexican-American's snapping brown eyes differentiate clearly the good, bad and indifferent of living as a foreign woman in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 15, 2010
Fatalist follows music to find his niche in life
Life can veer abruptly, in mere seconds, from the way it was to the way it is. Occasionally, change occurs so gradually that metamorphosis is under way before you can even detect the unfamiliar wind.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Apr 17, 2010
Fuji veteran brings kids English Adventure
If you hike in the Chichibu mountains this summer in Saitama Prefecture, you may stumble across an American-style summer camp with huge tents and 50 to 60 school kids exploring nature with walks and tree-climbing adventures and enjoying campfires and roasting marshmallows.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 13, 2010
Volleyball star finds meaning off court
As every top-level athlete knows, sacrifice underpins every training plan and for an Olympic athlete it becomes a way of life. For Sohn Jeong Wook, his goal of taking part in the Olympics was more important than country, but it didn't override family.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 6, 2010
Authenticity is all for mountaineer
Within the majestic silence of a snow-covered mountain lies the hush of possibility. The dormant assurance of life; a mountain in winter signifies hope. Especially for Dan Junker, 47, who lives in a tiny village in the shadow of Mount Norikura.
COMMUNITY
Feb 27, 2010
Something to be said for Japan's gray zone
It was an a-ha moment, an epiphany light-bolting across her face. It flickered with incredulous certainty and ended with awareness in her eyes.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 6, 2010
Journalist gives voice to voiceless
Shin Yamaaki is not familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but she has long understood the plight of the underdog. A chance experience in her 20s forged Yamaaki, 38, into who she is today: a woman who takes on global issues by giving voice to people who might go unheard.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 30, 2010
The culinary art of feeding the soul, with zest of Zen
Soothing sunlight fills the peaceful living space; arrayed atop a bamboo leaf, a slice of yuzu and mikan tart beckons, complemented by a steaming cup of herbal tea. In the Spartan abode of Valerie Duvauchelle, a French cooking teacher and zazen practitioner, nothing indicates her former life as an executive...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 23, 2010
Big changes from life's small lessons
Naotaka Aoki, a black belt in tae kwon do, stands tall among his students. A few days later, he stands at ease while leading 160 service members from the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base on a recent tour of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Fluent in English and Japanese, he laughs quickly in every language.
COMMUNITY
Dec 19, 2009
Group mentality — dressing to belong?
Japan's group mentality stumbles with frequent kicks from the Western mind.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 12, 2009
Doctor who treats body and soul
Beauty is not only skin deep, according to Dr. Andrew Wong. With more than 30 years of experience in the medical world, Wong observes firsthand how the stresses and preoccupations of modern society adversely affect our aging processes and overall health. To Wong, mind and body can be united to achieve...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 28, 2009
Publican practices the art of beer
Love beer? Look to Bryan Baird, 42, an Ohio native living in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Imbibe a foamy one at his original brewery, The Fishmarket Taproom, but just don't call him a bartender. Baird prefers the term "pub."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 14, 2009
Finding wisdom in fire and earth
Mishima, nestled at the foot of Mount Fuji, is certainly not a center for yakimono (ceramics), one of the most revered arts in Asia. But it is home to Robert Yellin, one of the foremost English-speaking experts on the craft.
COMMUNITY
Oct 24, 2009
Seasonal rules permeate daily life in Japan
I grew up in Florida, and our year divides itself into seasons of bearable and unbearable. Even the most creative mind could hardly find illumination in topics around the weather, as there are only so many ways to say "the sun is shining with ferocious force today" or "the sweat is running into my eyeballs...

Longform

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