Lisa Katayama

About the Author

Lisa Katayama is a mom and writer who was born and raised in Tokyo. She was the author of a popular Japan blog called TokyoMango, which had half a million views a month and was nominated for several web awards. She is also the author of two books, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan (Chronicle Books, 2008) and Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen (Clarkson Potter, 2023—with her chef husband Pierre Thiam). Katayama is a U.S. Japan Leadership Program Fellow, a 2015 Asia Society Young Leader, and was one of Forbes Japan’s Top Women to Watch in 2018. A former tech and culture journalist for outlets such as Wired, Popular Science, The New York Times Magazine, Boing Boing, The Japan Times, and PRI’s Studio360, she is currently the Chief Trust Officer at Digital Garage, a Japanese tech company. She also founded The Tofu Project, a small nonprofit that empowers social activists and entrepreneurs in Japan with leadership and design thinking tools. She lives in Oakland, CA with her family.