From the Judges:“As it is so often with writings set in Kyoto, “Trying to Understand” depicts a journey of inquiry and discovery. Many of us hope our experiences in the city will lead to a deeper and more profound understanding of life. This is something that everyone in a foreign place, looking for answers to …Read More
Tag: Kirsty Kawano
by Kirsty Kawano It was one of those sparkling summer days when the pale blue sky seems to stretch higher than usual. I was running errands near home and took the path along the river to avoid traffic and enjoy the view. I looked back and forth to the river as I cycled along, spotting …Read More
By Kirsty Kawano (written for Zenbird in August 2021) For more than one thousand years, Kyoto has held Japan’s biggest festival, the Gion Festival. In a regular year, throughout the month of July, more than one million people crowd into downtown Kyoto City to experience the street stalls, the towering wooden floats adorned with gorgeous …Read More
A Foreign Mom Navigates Human Relations In The Old Town When your life path meets a brick wall, look for a door By Kirsty Kawano | (First published by Savvy Kyoto) Making friends in a new town can be tough, but it’s even harder in an old one. I was at a Japanese cultural workshop …Read More
A Foreign Mom’s Journey Of Settling In Kansai Same country, different city, and a whole new ballgame By Kirsty Kawano | This article first appeared in Savvy Tokyo. Learning the ropes of living in Japan’s cultural capital can be tough. Two years ago my family relocated from Tokyo to Kyoto in line with my husband’s …Read More
Kirsty Kawano: Interview 1) Could you tell us about your background and connection with Japan? I first came to Japan on a one-year student exchange directly after high school. I had always been interested in living in a country with a different language, so when Japan was proposed as a destination I went with it. …Read More
WiK Writing Competition
Ninth Annual Writing Competition Winners (2024) (Coming in Mid-May)
Previous years:
Eighth Annual Writing Competition Winners (2023)
Seventh Annual Writing Competition Winners (2022)
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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