Co-founder, Joy Waller
Joy Waller was raised in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada and spent her young adulthood on Vancouver Island. She currently resides in Tokyo, Japan, where she serves as an editor at the Tokyo Poetry Journal and co-hosts the long-standing open mic series Drunk Poets See God. Her fiction & poetry have appeared in numerous publications, including Best Canadian Stories (2021), and her poetry collections include Pause :: Heartbeat (2019) and Cosmic Nervosa (2024). She draws inspiration for her creative work — and creative life — from the Tarot, various neon portals in Tokyo, the Beat Generation, nature spirits, and astral daydreams.
Weaknesses: coffee, techno, The Twilight Zone.
Visit www.joywaller.com for more info.
Insta: @joyous.waller
Co-founder, Ken Kawabata
Ken Kawabata, a.k.a Robot Bastard, a.k.a. Pope Bastard, spent his formative years in Holland, the UK, and North America before settling in Tokyo, Japan, where he currently works as a food tour guide for Culinary Backstreets and as a film screener & artist liaison for Short Shorts Film Festival. He hosts the monthly Get Trashed Movie Night at Bar Gari Gari and produces the underground cult podcast SH1TGARBAGE MOVIES. His novella Bull was published in 2005. Inspirations include whisky swilling detectives, punchy beat writers and trash cinema.
Weaknesses: A bold Merlot, gritty post-punk, minimal abstract art.
Get in touch via his youtube channel.
Operations Manager, Shisha
Shisha was rescued from Chiba in 2019 and transported to Tokyo by car during a rainstorm. She quickly adapted to her new life in the big city, excelling as a cockroach slayer and pretty much preventing a total nervous collapse on the part of her guardian during some challenging years. She currently runs a tight ship at Moon Hotel Press, ensuring that deadlines are met and shrieking at any design choices she feels are imprudent.
Weaknesses: Crispy Kiss treats, head boops, bathroom tiles.
Sales Director, Pan
Pan, nearly starving, was rescued from the mean streets of Ishikawa in 2023 and made the perilous journey to Tokyo by Shinkansen. A fearless explorer, he won the hearts of his new guardians in seconds, and it took only a few days more to break down the defenses of resident cat queen Shisha (no mean feat!). A consummate socializer and gifted with a golden tongue, Pan oversees all aspects of sales at Moon Hotel Press and functions as an invaluable liaison between customers & staff.
Weaknesses: catnip, cardboard boxes, cuddles.
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