Christopher Belton


Christopher Belton is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and a Japanese/English translator working from Yokohama, Japan.
Belton first moved to Japan in 1978 with his Japanese wife, and apart from four years in London between 1983 and 1987, he has lived in Japan ever since. Turning freelance in 1991, Belton has published more than 60 books as an author, more than 70 as a translator, and is well known in Japan for his contributions to literature, English learning and the publishing industry.

Biography

Born and brought up in Hackney, North London, Belton attended Queensbridge Infants School, Gayhurst Junior School and Upton House Secondary School. Excelling at music, he won a scholarship to receive individual tuition from the Royal Academy of Music at the age of fourteen, and also played second trumpet for the London Schools Symphony Orchestra for a brief period in 1969. He spent two years with the chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as a juvenile, during which he appeared in the operas Peter Grimes, Tosca, Don Carlos, Don Giovanni, Falstaff, Norma and others, and was part of a three-week tour of West Berlin and Munich undertaken by the Royal Opera House in April 1970. He also appeared in Belasario, staged by the students of the Royal Academy of Music, at the Sadler's Wells Opera House in 1972.
Belton then turned his attention to modern music and played the guitar in several unsuccessful rock bands, occasionally moonlighting as a session musician, before becoming disillusioned with the music business in 1975 and moving from London to Dartmouth, Devon, with his wife, Michiyo, where they lived for the subsequent three years.
Belton and his family moved to Japan in 1978, where he taught English in Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. They moved back to the UK in 1983, where he started working for the London office of JTB He was transferred to the Tokyo office in 1987 and worked there until he resigned to become a freelance translator in 1991.
Despite his background in music, Belton stated in an interview with Ken Tamai that he has been writing for most of his life, with his first book penned at the age of eight His first published work, Crime sans Frontieres, was released in the UK in 1997 and was nominated, although not long-listed, for the prestigious Booker Prize. This attracted the attention of several Japanese publishers, resulting in Belton writing and publishing more than sixty books over the course of the following years.

Published works

English language (author)

Foreign language (author)

  • Knowledgeable and Intellectual English Conversation - Edition 2 . Japan: DHC, June 2018.
  • TRANSCULTURE:Transcending Time, Region and Ethnicity. Japan: Kinseido, February 2017.
  • How to Enjoy Roald Dahl in English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, October 2016.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 8 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, October 2016.
  • Intensive Reading: Fun Way to Learn English . Japan: Chikuma Shobo, July 2016.
  • Sophisticated English Conversation for Adults . Japan: DHC, June 2014.
  • Quotes from Literature . Japan: IBC Publishing, May 2014.
  • What to Say in English at Times Like This . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, February 2013.
  • Sophisticated English Conversation for Non-Native Speakers . Japan: DHC, June 2012.
  • Reincarnates: Die without Sin . Japan: Gentosha, November 2010.
  • First Time in London . South Korea: Vitamin Book, September 2010.
  • Great Britain in the 21st Century. Japan: Nan'Undo, January 2009.
  • British English Listening . Taiwan: Jong Wen Books, September 2007.
  • Reading Your Way to English Comprehension . Japan: Chikuma Shobo, December 2008.
  • Selected Essays from Harry Potter and Mysterious Britain . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, July 2008.
  • Harry Potter and Mysterious Britain . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, June 2008.
  • Knowledgeable and Intellectual English Conversation . Japan: DHC, June 2008.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 7 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, November 2007.
  • British English Listening . Japan: DHC, September 2007.
  • The Complete Book of Writing . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, February 2007.
  • First Time in London . Taiwan: Jong Wen Books, November 2008.
  • An Introduction to English Conversation . Japan: Kenkyusha, June 2006.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 6 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, October 2005.
  • English Phrases in Japanese . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, April 2005.
  • First Time in London . Japan: Kenkyusha, April 2005.
  • Japanese Phrases in English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, March 2005.
  • Spoken British English—Basic Course . Japan: Kenkyusha, October 2004.
  • Reading the Harry Potter Series in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, July 2004.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 4 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, May 2004.
  • British Humour . Japan: Kenkyusha, April 2004.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 3 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, March 2004.
  • Reading the Harry Potter Series in the Original English . South Korea: Darakwon Publishing, January 2004.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 2 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, January 2004.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 1 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, December 2003.
  • Reading Harry Potter Vol. 5 in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, November 2003.
  • Reading the Harry Potter Series in the Original English . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, June 2003.
  • Business Translation Databook . Japan: DHC, May 2000.
  • Kokkyo Naki Hanzai . Japan: DHC Publishing, June 1999.

Foreign language (co-author)

  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Just Read the Story! Journal of a Businessman Day 31 to Day 60 . Japan Sanshusha, 2020.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Just Read the Story! Journal of a Businessman Day 1 to Day 30 . Japan Sanshusha, 2019.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Pocketbook Edition: Carefully Selected English Sentences for Business People . Japan: Discover 21, 2014.
  • Sally Kanbayashi, co-author. Reading Alice in Wonderland in English . Japan: Kadokawa, 2014.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Carefully Selected English Sentences for Business People . Japan: Discover 21, 2013.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Nihonjin Nara Kanarazu Machigaeru Eigo . Japan: Daiwa Shobo, 2012.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Chohasso de Simple ni Tsutaeru Eikaiwa . Japan: Chukei Shuppan, 2011.
  • Tatsuro Yoneyama, co-author. New TOEIC Super Training—Listening . Taiwan: Jia-xi Books, 2010.
  • Naoyuki Naganuma, co-author. English Etymology Network . Japan: CosmoPier Publishing, May 2010.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. English Language Techniques for Twitter . Japan: Jitsugyo-no-Nihonsha, 2010.
  • Tatsuro Yoneyama, co-author. New TOEIC Super Training—Listening . Taiwan: Nonagon Culture, February 2010.
  • Yuichiro Yoshinari and Hitoshi Mitsuya, co-authors. STEP Examination Grade #2-Sub . Japan: ASK. 2009.
  • Tomiko Yamakami, co-author. STEP Examination Grade #2 . Japan: ASK, 2009.
  • Tetsuya Kimura and Izumi Mizushima, co-authors. New TOEIC Super Training 555 . Japan: Kenkyusha, 2008.
  • Tatsuro Yoneyama, co-author. New TOEIC Super Training—Listening . Taiwan: Royal Road Publishing, 2008.
  • Tetsuya Kimura and Izumi Mizushima, co-authors. New TOEIC Super Training—Grammar/Vocabulary . Taiwan: Royal Road Publishing, 2007.
  • Tatsuro Yoneyama, co-author. New TOEIC Super Training—Reading . Japan: Kenkyusha, 2008.
  • Listening Strategies for the TOEIC Test. Japan: ASK, 2008.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. 300 Sample Sentences Using 1,900 Indispensable Words . Japan: Asuka Publishing, 2007.
  • Tetsuya Kimura and Izumi Mizushima, co-authors. New TOEIC Super Training—Grammar/Vocabulary . Japan: Kenkyusha, 2007.
  • Tatsuro Yoneyama, co-author. New TOEIC Super Training—Listening . Japan: Kenkyusha, 2007.
  • Mikako Fujioka, co-author. TOEIC Test-2400 Vocabulary . Japan: Kodansha, 2006.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Snowball's Adventure . Japan: Gentosha, 2006.
  • Noriko Hirota, co-author. The Unchanging Face of Great Britain. Japan: Kinseido, 2005.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Business English . Japan: Mikasa Shobo Publishing, 2004.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. English Sense—Learning from a Native Speaker . Japan: Kawade Shobo, 2004.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Improving Your English with a 2-Line Diary . Japan: Mikasa Shobo Publishing, 2004.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. TOEIC Test—Big Bang Vocabulary Learning Method . Japan: PHP Bunko, 2003.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. Minute English Conversation . Japan: Mikasa Shobo Publishing, 2003.
  • Yoichi Hareyama, co-author. English Conversation Based on 5 Sentence Patterns . Japan: Seishun Publishing, 2003.

Newspaper/magazine contributions

  • "Novels & Mysteries," serialization of a mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: July 2022 – September 2022.
  • "Tote Bags & Diamonds," serialization of a humorous suspense novel. Asahi Weekly: October 2021 – December 2021.
  • "The Morrison Darts," serialization of a humorous novel. Asahi Weekly: January 2021 – March 2021.
  • "The Farmhouse on Windy Hill," serialization of a mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: October 2017 – March 2018.
  • "Greyhurst Manor and the Swiss Connection," serialization of a mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: October 2016 – March 2017.
  • "The Greyhurst Legend," serialization of a mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: October 2015 – March 2016.
  • "Greyhurst Manor," serialization of a mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: October 2014 – March 2015.
  • "Halcombe Lighthouse," serialization of a mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: October 2013 – March 2014.
  • "A Crisis for Burdock Farm," serialization of a fantasy novel. Asahi Weekly: April 2012 – March 2013.
  • "Roland Vance," serialization of the Roland Vance series of private investigator stories. Asahi Weekly: April 2011 – March 2012.
  • "Mystery in the Mountains," serialization of mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: January – March 2011.
  • "Ryoma-den", regular column on the life and times of Sakamoto Ryōma, a tie-in with NHK's TV drama. Tacho-Tadoku Magazine : March – December 2010.
  • "Treasure in the Mountains," serialization of mystery novel. Asahi Weekly: April – December 2010.
  • "Happy Reading," monthly column providing advice on reading specific genres of English-language fiction. Asahi Weekly: April 2009 – March 2010.
  • "Bestseller wa Omoshiroi," regular column on reading specific novels in the original English. Tacho-Tadoku Magazine : October 2006 – August 2110.
  • "Gateway to Hell," serialization of fantasy-horror novel. Tacho-Tadoku Magazine : March 2009 – January 2010.
  • Multiple one-off articles.

Translated works

Predominantly non-fiction works on art, design, architecture, politics and Japanese culture, but also official translator of Yuka Shimada's bestselling "Bam and Kero" series for children.

Miscellaneous

Belton acts as a freelance proofreader/editor for the Japanese translations of overseas literature. He has been involved in the publication of approximately 70 translated works, including the works of Peter Carey, Arundhati Roy, Barbara Kingsolver, Amy Sohn, etc.
In addition to writing textbooks for use in universities, Belton has also contributed essays for use in the Crown Plus English Series, a textbook for English study on the National Curriculum for junior high schools in Japan.

Personal life

Belton is married to Michiyo, with whom he has two sons: Shane and Jamie. He currently lives in Yokohama, Japan.