Ryusuke Kawai

@ryusukekawai

This page may include translations provided by Google Translate. [Original]

Journalist and non-fiction writer. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University, he worked as a reporter for the Mainichi Shimbun before going independent. His books include Yamato Colony: The Men Who Left Japan in Florida (Shunpousha). He translated the monumental work of Japanese American literature, No-No Boy (Shunpousha). The English version of Yamato Colony won the 2021 Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Award for the best book on ethnic groups or social issues from the Florida Historical Society.

Updated November 2021

Stories from This Author

Thumbnail for Part 60: A story of fighting the enemy and discrimination—Reading "Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II"

On Nikkei

Part 60: A story of fighting the enemy and discrimination—Reading "Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II"

April 11, 2025 • Ryusuke Kawai

It has been 80 years since the end of the war, and with almost no living witnesses to the war remaining, it is becoming increasingly important to pass on the truth of history. It is not enough to understand war as an international issue as explained in textbooks, especially when we consider the harsh and brutal truths of how real people were hurt and suffered. This fact is brought home by the recently published non-fiction book "遥かなる山に向かって日系アメリカ人二世たちの第二次世界大戦 (Harukanaru yama …

100th Infantry Battalion 442nd Regimental Combat Team Daniel James Brown Facing the Mountain (book) Fred Shiosaki Gordon Hirabayashi Katsugo Miho non-fiction United States Army World War II

On Nikkei

Part 59 Getting to Know San Jose Japantown

March 28, 2025 • Ryusuke Kawai

A rare community that preserves Japanese traditions San Jose, California, is known as one of the few places where Japanese people who emigrated overseas have left their Japanese traditions and culture behind, and have maintained a unique Japanese culture. A special exhibition titled “San Jose Japantown: Inheriting the Thoughts and Spirits of Immigrants,” about the Japantown that formed in this city, which is located at the base of Silicon Valley, a hub of cutting-edge technology, is being held at the …

California communities culture exhibitions Japan Japanese American Museum of San Jose (organization) Japanese Overseas Migration Museum Japantowns Kanagawa Prefecture Kanto Region (Japan) museums San Jose traditions United States Yokohama

On Nikkei

Part 58 Memoirs of an Italian girl in a Japanese internment camp — Dacia Maraini's "My Life"

March 14, 2025 • Ryusuke Kawai

Similarities with the internment of Japanese Americans Just as there were facilities in the United States, Canada and Australia that forcibly interned citizens of the enemy country, Japan, too, had similar facilities for people from enemy countries during World War II. Although it is not widely known, one of these was the concentration camp for Italians in Nagoya. Italy was an ally of Japan along with Germany, as seen in the Tripartite Pact, so some may wonder why Italians were …

Aichi Prefecture identity Italians Japan Nagoya World War II World War II camps

On Nikkei

Part 57 (2) Pursuing a world where cultures intersect

Feb. 28, 2025 • Ryusuke Kawai

Read Part 57 (Part 1) Since her experience studying abroad in the United States in the 1970s, Awaya Nobuko has been concerned with issues of identity, and has since traveled the world to study minorities and intercultural communication. In recent years, she has been launching art projects based in Chihanan in Izu, her hometown. We spoke to her about the content and intentions of her activities. * * * * * A cross between the past and the future, Japan …

arts culture identity Japanese music minorities multiculturalism music performing arts

On Nikkei

Part 57 (1) Pursuing a world where cultures intersect

Feb. 14, 2025 • Ryusuke Kawai

Since her experience studying abroad in the United States in the 1970s, Nobuko Awaya has been concerned with issues of identity, and has since traveled the world to study minorities and intercultural communication. In recent years, she has been launching art projects based in Chihanan in Izu, her hometown. We spoke to her about her intercultural experiences and her work to this day, focusing on her involvement with the Japanese community. As the only Japanese student studying abroad Kawai: How …

artists education educational exchanges exchange students international education Japanese Americans Seattle student exchange programs students teachers teaching United States Washington World War II camps

On Nikkei

Part 56 Japanese in Kamchatka before the war

Jan. 10, 2025 • Ryusuke Kawai

From the research of Michi Horie Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Japanese researchers studying the historical relationship between Russia and Japan have expressed confusion and concern. One such researcher is Kyoto resident Machi Horie, whose grandfather and father emigrated to Vladivostok and Kamchatka before the war and ran a store there. Based on some of the research she has compiled and similar research that has been sent to her, I would like to introduce the activities of Japanese people in …

aquaculture canneries fisheries food processing plants prewar Russia Vladivostok

On Nikkei

Part 55 (2) An interview with Yumiko Murakami, one of the first to focus on Asian America

Dec. 27, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai

Read Part 55 (1) Murakami Yumiko, a writer and researcher of ethnic culture, has been reporting on Japanese and Asian Americans since the 1970s and has published non-fiction and other books based on her findings. We continue to speak to her about the track record and significance of her many years of reporting and research on the theme of Asian America. Discrimination in movies Kawai : You seem to focus particularly on the world of theater and film within the …

Asian American studies authors discrimination ethnic studies Hollywood films interpersonal relations prejudices writers

On Nikkei

Part 55 (1) An interview with Yumiko Murakami, one of the first to focus on Asian America

Dec. 13, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai

Murakami Yumiko, a writer and researcher of ethnic culture, has been reporting on Japanese Americans and Asian Americans since the 1970s and publishing the results of her research in non-fiction and other books. We spoke to her about the track record and significance of her many years of reporting and research on the theme of Asian America. Meeting with picture book author Taro Yashima Kawai : Could you tell us about the historical flow of the research and interviews you …

Asian Americans authors Japanese Americans Taro Yashima

On Nikkei

Part 54 (2) The History of a Japanese Family in Florida

Nov. 22, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai

Read Part 54 (1) From "The Story of Ichiro Omaye" Last time , we introduced the history of the Omaye family, who ran a farm in Florida, USA, based on the writings of their descendant, Omaye Kosei, who now lives in Kyoto. Kosei's grandfather, Omaye Kyujiro, left his hometown in the mountains of Hyogo Prefecture and traveled to the USA in 1903 (Meiji 36) to repay his debts. He initially worked on the West Coast, but later moved to Jacksonville …

family histories Florida genealogy Jacksonville (Florida) Story of Ichiro Omaye (book) United States

On Nikkei

Part 54 (1) The History of a Japanese Family in Florida

Nov. 8, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai

A story of three generations of the Omaye family A few years ago, Mr. Kosei Omaye, who lives in Kyoto City, sent me a copy of his book "The Story of Ichiro Omaye" (Zou no Mori Shobo), a family history of the Omaye family with ties to Florida in the United States. Mr. Omaye knew that I had previously written a non-fiction book about Japanese immigrants to Florida called "Yamato Colony: The Men Who Left Japan in Florida" (Shunposha). Immigration …