Travel writing
Work has taken me to most parts of Japan, with stories like this feature on the Michinoku Coastal Trail for the BBC, coverage of bull sumo in the remote Oki Islands for Roads & Kingdoms, and a decade of articles for National Geographic that include this NATJA Gold Award-winning feature on the cultural legacies of the old Tokaido road.
Features
I also write features on other aspects of Japan, from articles like this BBC story about the cat that saved a railway to a long-form piece for Narratively about the island of Dejima during Japan’s isolationist era – a cultural melting pot rife with scandal and intrigue.
Books
I’m the author or co-author of a dozen books, including Japanese Inns & Hot Springs, the NATJA 2018 Gold Prize-winning Japan Traveler’s Companion, and (more recently) several new Lonely Planet guides. I’ve also updated and contributed to roughly 30 other guidebooks. I’m currently working on a book documenting small town Japan and a collection of haiku and haibun – both due out in 2026.
Other writing
Besides publishing Japanese-style poetry, I occasionally write blogposts about writing and life in Japan. Sometimes I collaborate on branded content projects, if they have a strong focus on storytelling. I also enjoy working on scripts: my short Nine to Death has been nominated at several international film festivals.