If you plan to be in Kyoto on October 22nd (Tuesday), please consider joining Kyoto Through the Ages, co-sponsored by CIEE Kyoto and Kyoto Journal, with a fabulous line-up of guest speakers including Writers in Kyoto member Cody Poulton. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required. From Kyoto Journal: It is with great pleasure that …Read More
Author: Karen Lee Tawarayama (Page 1 of 6)
A Short Story by Rebecca Otowa (Historical note: This story is set in the late 1580s, in the mountains somewhere between Kyoto and Nagoya. At that time, Japan had been for centuries a conglomerate of lots of little strongholds based on clans, much as England was before King Arthur. Three men emerged as “unifiers” of …Read More
From a Work in Progress, by Malcolm Ledger The first installment of Ledger’s “Prologue to a War” was previously shared on our website in 2021. Our readers may wish to refresh their memories of the storyline at this link before moving on to the following. ***************** No less incontestable, awesome, and powerful, was the Imperial …Read More
From the Judges:“A series of seasonal haiku verses which conveys an entire narrative within its delicate descriptions and easily evokes images of Kyoto’s enveloping nature and pastimes while recalling the 17th century master of this poetic form.” ＊ ＊ ＊ Basho in Love who could give a nameto cherry blossom coloror her sudden blush? * empty cupand I’ve …Read More
From the Judges:“A discourse on the likely passing of a traditional art. So much of what makes Kyoto special is fading away, with every machiya demolished and every craftsman who retires without passing on his skills. This piece highlights that sad fact by describing the ubiquitous lacquerware for sale at the city’s flea markets, all of it …Read More
From the Judges:“The vivid and beautiful imagery of this piece was striking, and its ambiguity left the judges wondering from the beginning whether the elderly woman described was actually Kyoto personified in its feminine aspects.” ＊ ＊ ＊ Limbo She wakes up in the morning amongst mountains dotted with clouds and dozes off on the train amongst …Read More
From the Judges:“This piece deftly and succinctly describes a location as well as a period of extended time and suggests how perception evolves as one becomes more familiar with a particular place and oneself. Here the theme is wanderings in the ancient capital of Kyoto and the surprising things one can discover, including many ways …Read More
From the Judges:“It is often said that class differences are largely kept invisible in Japan, and negative feelings suppressed, for the sake of overall harmony. Dave Tampus Pregoner’s musings about a homeless Kyotoite who happens to help a wayward tourist are effective in lifting the curtain on this social phenomenon. His winning submission underscores the …Read More
Mid-May has arrived, and the judges of the Ninth Annual Kyoto Writing Competition have come to their very difficult decision of selecting the top prizewinners. We were delighted to receive numerous submissions from individuals comprising 29 nationalities, located both within Japan and in a total of 24 countries across the world — an indication of …Read More
By Rebecca Otowa Nine people gathered at Writers in Kyoto member David Duff’s house/library (quite impressive!) in Shimogamo to listen to a talk by the noted photographer Everett Kennedy Brown. Aside from his unusual and beautiful collodion wet-plate photography, a technique from the 19th century, he has written several books in Japanese including “Archaic Future” …Read More
Kyoto Writing Competition
WiK Anthologies
The Nature of Kyoto (2023)
Eds. Lisa Twaronite Sone & Robert Weis
Foreword by Pico Iyer
Structures of Kyoto (2021)
Eds: Rebecca Otowa & Karen Lee Tawarayama
Foreword by Judith Clancy
Encounters with Kyoto (2019)
Eds: Jann Williams & Ian Josh Yates
Foreword by Juliet Winters Carpenter
Echoes (2017)
Eds: John Dougill, Amy Chavez, & Mark Richardson
Preface by Alex Kerr
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