Suzanne Kamata

1 month ago | medium.com | Suzanne Kamata

A review of a novel by Sharon WhiteSuzanne Kamata·FollowPublished inJaponica Publication·3 min read·--Minato Sketches by Sharon White (published by Minerva Press)In Minato Sketches, Gigi, an American art historian recovering from a stroke, travels to post-COVID Tokyo to spend the summer teaching at a university. Her husband, also a scholar, and her two grown sons stay behind. Away from her family’s well-meaning but oppressive solicitude, Gigi can redefine herself.

2 months ago | japantimes.co.jp | Suzanne Kamata

Shikoku, with its lushly forested mountains and dramatic coastline, has long been ignored by most foreign tourists. No bullet trains connect the southern island to Japan’s larger cities, and English is a relative rarity. Recent years, however, have seen a surge in visitors who have come to embark on the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage. David Moreton is among the foreign-born devotees of the historic route, with decades of research and experience under his belt.

2 months ago | forewordreviews.com | Suzanne Kamata

Kevin Garone Temor Press (Mar 11, 2025) Softcover $12.99 (208pp)979-899132840-1 In Kevin Garone’s zippy novel I Know What UFO Did Last Summer, an alien-obsessed boy tries out his survival skills when a “spaceship” appears in a cornfield near his house. Twelve-year-old Marv, who lives in suburban Delaware, has just about memorized his guidebook on surviving an alien invasion (quotes from which precede each chapter).

2 months ago | travel.gaijinpot.com | Suzanne Kamata

Rusutsu Resort is a year-round vacation spot in Hokkaido. The six on-site hotels can accommodate up to 4,000 guests. More than 30 restaurants serve a variety of cuisines, ranging from Mongolian lamb to snow crab to sushi to Chinese, at a range of prices. While visitors can enjoy golf and the amusement park in warmer weather, in winter, its slopes attract skiers and snowboarders from within Japan and abroad.

2 months ago | booksbywomen.org | Suzanne Kamata

By Suzanne KamataIn February in Japan, where I have lived for the past 35 years, households with young daughters display hina ningyo, beautiful ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, and various courtiers. The dolls are arranged on tiered shelves, with the Emperor and Empress on the top. The full set is expensive, costing thousands of dollars. Typically, they are gifted to baby girls by their grandparents, and they are rarely passed on from generation to generation.