Japanese Diaspora

Last year’s Nobel Prize in Literature went to a Norwegian playwright, sparking interest in Norwegian books in Japan. Join us in exploring Norwegian picture books with translator Junko Aoki and writer Gro Dahle. The world of Norwegian picture books may be full of surprises for Japanese people as they vividly depict all kinds of social issues, including gender-related matters and domestic violence. Among them, The Angry Man captures domestic violence by parents from a child’s perspective. In Aquarium, it highlights the presence of young carers, making their existence known to society even before it gained widespread recognition. In Aquarium, the book portrays the daily life of a young girl whose mother is a goldfish …

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When you pursue a lifestyle inspired by Zen—live like a floating cloud without obsessing over anything, it may create an opportunity to build a positive society that shares happiness universally. Joe Jun Liao, an entrepreneur originally from Hong Kong, is building a network to improve personal wellness and the common good in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan. While studying architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, he started to think about how designing spaces to create invaluable experiences could lead to a mindful society and help solve social problems. After working as a software engineer in California, he founded Hong Kong’s first capsule hotel, SLEEEP, with his childhood friend and …

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Fermented foods have been gaining popularity in the United States for some time now. In 2003, Sandor Ellix Katz, a leader in the fermentation movement and a self-described fermentation geek, published his first book on fermented foods, Basic Fermentation. Since then, he has written numerous books ranging from adventures in the world’s fermented food cultures to advanced, specialized cookbooks, one of which has been translated into Japanese: Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys: Recipes, Techniques, and Traditions from around the World. If one were to trace the history of fermented foods in the U.S., one would find The Book of Tofu at the beginning. Co-authors Akiko Aoyagi and her American husband William Shurtleff began their research …

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Based on a philosophy of emotional independence and overcoming reliance on others, “solo activities” can serve as the starting point for cultivating a whole new you. Our Me Time (solo activities) rules for finding happiness on our own that are taking the West by storm. In Japan drinking alone, traveling alone, eating alone has been a growing awareness and understanding which refer to actions and experiences where the individual values going at their own pace and their own thoughts. Based on a philosophy of emotional independence and overcoming reliance on others, these are gaining widespread acceptance as the starting point for cultivating a whole new you, rather than being seen …

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