Category: Nonfiction

Writers of Kyoto, Part 4: Kashiwai Hisashi 柏井壽

Fourth in a series about Japanese authors of Kyoto

Writers of Kyoto, Part 3: Matsuda Michio 松田道雄

The third installment of a series on Japanese writers of Kyoto.

Writers of Kyoto, Part 2: Yamamura Misa 山村美紗

Part 2 of a series on Japanese writers who used Kyoto as a setting in their works.

Writers of Kyoto, Part 1: Mizukami Tsutomu 水上勉

Part 1 of a series on Japanese writers who used Kyoto as a setting in their works.

Hearn on Heian Jingu

A selection from Dai-Koku-Den

Can I Call You Daddy?

An exploration of Japanese names for one's spouse

To Weave a Perfect Day: From Brocade Gardens to Spools of Thread

Description of a pleasant afternoon which includes an unplanned visit to a textile studio.

The Bath

The tribulations of the Japanese bath.

The Dogs’ Logs


Kayaking, poetry and camping in caves. Adventures galore!

Muroto, High and Low

Description of a trip to Cape Muroto in Shikoku.

Monks on My Mind

A short piece on a bonze-ridden town.

A Discussion with Rebecca Otowa: Artist, Writer, Musician

An introduction to the artwork of Rebecca Otowa.

Garrison Island

A photo essay on a visit to Okinawa.

Bin Ueda, Professor and Translator

A biographical sketch of one of Lafcadio Hearn's students.

Alan Watts (5)

More on Alan Watts and his connection to Kyoto.

Book Review: Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan: A Journey by Train from Hokkaido to Kyushu, by John Dougill

Review of a travelogue on train journeys in Japan that is oh so much more than just a travel guide.

Book Review: Hidden Japan, by Alex Kerr

Kerr on places he'd rather you not visit. Instead he offers wonderful descriptions.

On Turning Seventy-Five

A reflection an aging.

Crossing the Path of Bonsai

An excerpt from the self-published volume A tiny nature – recollections of poems and trees.

Kyoto Visual Stories

On staying near Shisendō and the many discoveries made.

The Day I Met the Photographer

An excerpt from a memoir in progress on learning to read in Japan.

Words and Music: Reflections

Writing and reflections on listening and life.

Debt Crisis in Peach

A short piece on family dynamics and culture.

From Tanshinfunin to L.A.T.

On living alone together.