Ryusuke Kawai
@ryusukekawaiJournalist 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
No. 53 (part 2) Connecting Japan and the World through English Rakugo - Following Rokumei-ya Eiraku at the St. Louis Japan Festival
Sept. 27, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
Read Part 1 Rakugo in English - Kanariya Eiraku is spreading English Rakugo to the Japanese community and around the world. He was recently invited to perform an English Rakugo performance at the St. Louis Japan Festival in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. How is Rakugo known overseas, including in the US? We asked him how Japanese humor is perceived, and about other types of storytelling by Japanese people besides Rakugo. Pride in Japanese culture Kawai: How do you think Japanese …
No. 52 (part 1) Connecting Japan and the World through English Rakugo - Following Kanariya Eiraku at the St. Louis Japan Festival
Sept. 13, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
Rakugo, or rakugo storytelling in English, is loved by people from all over the world. Rakugo is a form of Japanese culture that transcends borders and uses Japanese humor and storytelling. One representative of this form of English rakugo is Kanariya Eiraku (real name Tatsuya Sudo, 65). Starting with an interest in the English world, Eiraku, who is also well-versed in Japanese-American theater, is the representative director of the English Rakugo Association (established in 2020), a general incorporated association that …
Part 51: Japanese child left behind in Congo
Aug. 23, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
"Child of the Sun" brings to light When I first saw a non-fiction book titled "Children of the Sun" (Shueisha, published in 2022) in a store, I was intrigued. The subtitle was "The Secret Japan Left Behind in Africa," and it was about several children born in Africa to Japanese men and local women. In the 1970s and 1980s, several Japanese men who worked for Japan Mining, a leading Japanese mining company, in the Republic of Congo (then the People's Republic …
Part 50: Athletes and Japanese-Americans
Aug. 9, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
A difficult choice of nationality Regarding the Paris Olympics, the Japanese media has been reporting enthusiastically on the progress of the Japanese national team, especially those athletes who are in the running for medals. I would also like to know about the achievements of foreign athletes and minor sports, but these are rarely covered. One day, I came across a newspaper headline that read, “Japanese-born Christa Deguchi wins gold medal.” The headline didn’t say “Japanese” or “Japanese,” but “from Japan.” …
Part 49 Japanese Nationals, Japanese People, and Nikkei
July 26, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
What is a Japanese person? In the previous column, I considered this question through the discussion of beauty pageants. There are various definitions and images of Japanese people, but in the end, it seems that "Japanese people" cannot be defined. On the other hand, "Japanese citizens" can be defined as "people who have Japanese nationality." The currently popular NHK TV serial drama "Wings on a Tiger" depicts the life of a female lawyer, and frequently touches upon the Japanese Constitution, …
Part 48: What is Japaneseness?
July 12, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
Is it nationality or lineage that's the issue? With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, the athletes selected to represent Japan in each sport are being announced one after the other, including many with foreign roots, such as tennis player Osaka Naomi (father from Haiti), men's basketball player Hachimura Rui (father from Benin), women's basketball player Magua Evelyn (both parents from Ghana), track and field 100m athlete Sani Brown Abdel Hakim (father from Ghana), and 110m hurdler Muratake Rashid …
Part 47: Japanese Emigration Overseas
June 28, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
There are 1,294,000 Japanese people residing overseas. In recent years, it is said that the number of Japanese people leaving Japan to live overseas is increasing. Does this reflect the decline of Japan's national power? Or is it because more Japanese people are looking to leave Japan in search of something that is not available in Japan? The recently published book, "The Exodus of Japanese: The Light and Shadow of Overseas Migration" (written by Oishi Nana, Chuokoron Shinsho), investigates the …
Part 46: Were there any Japanese who served in the American Civil War? Read "Japanese who fought in the American Civil War"
June 14, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
The American Civil War (April 1861 to May 1865) was a civil war fought over issues such as the continuation of slavery, and is probably something most Japanese people only see on television or in movies as a setting or theme in Western movies. It seems like there is no commonality between the American Civil War and Japan. However, it turns out that two Japanese men actually served as soldiers in the Civil War. What does this mean? Who served …
Part 45: Interview with Mr. Maeda, the translator of "Darkness" - Part 3
March 22, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
Juliet Kono's novel "Darkness" depicts a Hawaii-born second-generation Japanese-American woman surviving a life of hardship during and after the war. Ippei Maeda, a scholar of American literature, translated the novel over the course of 10 years and published it at the end of last year. We asked him about the appeal of the novel and Japanese-American literature. Hemingway and John Okada --Mr. Maeda, you specialize in American literature, including the work of Hemingway, a classic of American literature, and you …
#45 Interview with Maeda Ippei, translator of "Anshu" - Part 2
March 8, 2024 • Ryusuke Kawai
Juliet S. Kono's novel "Darkness" depicts a Hawaii-born second-generation Japanese-American woman surviving a life of hardships during and after the war. Ippei Maeda, a scholar of American literature, translated the novel over the course of 10 years and published it at the end of last year. We asked him about the appeal of the novel and Japanese-American literature. * * * * * The spread of Japanese literature --Previously, in this column, I introduced a work called " After Dark …
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