Isobar Press is not only a specilist publisher of poetry, but of poetry with a Japanese connection in particular. According to its website, it “publishes poetry in English by Japanese and non-Japanese authors who live (or have lived) in Japan, or who write on Japan-related themes.” One of their recent publications is by former resident …Read More
Category: On Kyoto (Page 4 of 11)
Writings about Kyoto, whether by Japanese or foreign observers
by Stephen Benfey “Last night,” he said, “was fun.” “It was spooky,” she said. “How do you know such spooky places?” “Serendipity. Just walking around and there it was.” “What does ‘serendipity’ mean?” He cocked his head. “Like how we met. Serendipity is when something good happens by chance.” She frowned. “We call that en.” …Read More
by Nicholas Teele The last two or three years, I’ve been experiencing what I call visual flashes. They come on without warning, first with an intensity that nearly blocks everything else out, then stay a few minutes, or a day, or a week, but eventually fade away. These are not hallucinations in the sense that …Read More
A Short Story by Rebecca Otowa (October 2021) Keiko opened the metal front door with her key and almost fell inside. Her shadow, cast by the streetlight, lurched, and her white shoes seemed to tangle together. She recovered her balance, hauled her big carrier bag and a smaller one inside, and closed the door. She …Read More
Extracted from Edward Levinson’s Whisper of the Land (2014) sitting in the lotus position 蓮華座組みthe Zen carpenter 禅の大工がhammers nails 釘を打つalong the long hall of his life 長い人生の廊下に沿って renge-za kumi, Zen no daiku ga, kugi o utsu, nagai jinsei no rōka ni sotte My garden is not a Zen garden but it does have some symbolism, …Read More
A Glimpse into the History of Gion Higashiby Yuki Yamauchi The flamboyance of Kyoto has long been enhanced by the culture of five kagai (geisha quarters). Since my heart was touched by the performances of geiko and maiko in the Gion Odori of 2016, the focus of my interest has been in particular on Gion …Read More
Kyoto Journal 100th Issue Published Review by Rebecca Otowa Sept. 24, 2021 This month, throughout Japan and the world of people who love Japan, a great sigh of relief and satisfaction could be felt. The 100th issue of the prestigious Kyoto Journal was published. Since it first saw the light in 1987, this quarterly publication …Read More
Ichi-go Ichi-e – A Serendipitous Encounter I read the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha many years ago. The book was so popular it even made it onto Carmela’s bedside table in an episode of The Sopranos. The story describes the struggles of a poor young girl in the early 1900’s, sold into a life …Read More
KJ 100 / ‘100 Views of Kyoto’ By Ken Rodgers A very special celebratory print issue of Kyoto Journal No one on the Kyoto Journal production team has been watching the virtual Olympics. We’ve been too busy wrestling our next issue into shape, for a strict print deadline. (Yes, print!) Since it also happens to …Read More
Poems and Images by James Woodham clouds of illusionchanging slowly as the skysculptures of the wind insubstantial moonon a canvas of pure bluethe faintest brushwork try painting rainbows! for a moment it was there now just a memory …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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