Manami Okazaki has published twelve books on Japanese culture. Her articles have been featured in the Japan Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, South China Morning Post, Lonely Planet, Transit and other global media. She has collected and written extensively about kokeshi and the Tohoku region for over ten years. She was active in volunteer and charity work in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, curating Kokeshi events in London, Paris, Rome and Los Angeles with a mission to help the people of Tohoku.