Q&A With Robert Whiting 

I’m so delighted to be doing this Q&A with bestselling author and journalist Robert Whiting! Robert is the author of Chrysanthemum and the Bat, You Gotta Have Wa, Slugging It Out In Japan, Tokyo Underworld, The Meaning of Ichiro, The Samurai Way of Baseball, Tokyo Junkie: 60 Years of Bright Lights and Back Alleys.. and Baseball & his recent release Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies. 

Q: Robert would you please give a brief description of each of your books beginning with Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies? 

A: C&B A look at the Japanese National Character through Japan’s adopted sport of baseball

You Gotta Have Wa: A book about the clash of Japanese and Americans cultures in baseball in Japan and their inability to get along.

Slugging It Out: The story of American baseball star Warren Cromartie and his 8 years in Japan as an outfielder with the Tokyo Giants.

Tokyo Underworld::The adventures of an American racketeer in postwar Japan: Shows how crime unites people across cultures.

MOI: How a Japanese baseball star captivated America on his way to the US baseball Hall of Fame and the impact that had on Japanese society—helping to make them Members of the World, as Japanese essayist Midori Masujima put it:

Tokyo Junkie: A memoir of my 60 Years living in Tokyo.

GFDS: A book about various foreign characters, many of the shady variety, and the impact they had on Japan.

Q: What drew you into journalism & writing nonfiction books about Japan? Would you say that your journalism writing has helped with writing books?

A: I left Tokyo in 1972 and moved to NY after a decade in Japan. I regaled friends on the Upper West Side with tales of Japanese style baseball and how it pervaded the culture. They   encouraged me to write a book about Japan as seen through the national sport of baseball, and I gave it a shot. Went to Barnes and Noble on Broadway and bought a book on how to write non-fiction. A year later I had a 100,000-word draft. It was turned down by 12 publishers in a row, so I took it to Sports illustrated who bought and ran a chapter and introduced me to Dodd Mead which published C&B in 1977.

Q: I read that you divide your time between The States & Japan. I love asking authors who’ve traveled where their favorite spots are in the world. Where are your favorite places in Japan? 

A: Tokyo. It’s the greatest city in the world. Energy level is off the charts. Also liked Kamakura, the ancient capital of Japan where I lived for a few years. A miniature version of Kyoto, another great city.

Q: Are you currently writing another book and can you reveal any details?

A: I’m doing a book with Greg Kelly, the Nissan executive arrested with Carlos Ghosn in Japan. It’s a tale of corporate intrigue. It should be out next year.

Q: What lessons do you hope readers learn after reading your books? What wisdom do you have for anyone wanting to become a journalist like you whether it’s here in the States or abroad? 

A: The world is full of interesting stories just waiting to be found. Seek them out and write about them. Do it as a labor of love and worry about getting published later. Aristotle said, “Happiness is the pursuit of excellence in a worthwhile goal.” As a writer you are always pursuing excellence, which is difficult to achieve, but pursuit is the thing.