Nathalie Kouamé's '80 mots du Japon' Explores Japan Through Personal and Historical Lens

Nathalie Kouamé, a historian and professor at Université Paris Cité, has published '80 mots du Japon', a new addition to the '80 mots du monde' collection. The book, prefaced by renowned geographer Philippe Pelletier, offers a personal and scholarly exploration of Japan through 80 words. Kouamé's journey began with a trip to Japan at age 19, leading to her study of Japanese at Inalco and extensive research on medieval and modern Japan, particularly the history of religions in the 16th and 17th centuries. She also co-directs the 'Encyclopédie des historiographies : Afriques, Amériques, Asies' and has been co-director of the 'Nouvelle Clio' collection at Presses universitaires de France since 2025. In the book, she blends factual descriptions, emotional reflections, and anecdotes, drawing on her deep familiarity with the language and culture. Pelletier praises her approach of embracing her foreigner status, which facilitated trust and candid exchanges. The 200-page book, priced at €16.50, is distributed by DILISCO. The '80 mots du monde' collection, which started with '80 mots de l'Inde', now includes twelve volumes, with more titles planned for 2027, covering Laos, Portugal, Brazil, Brittany, Corsica, the Tamil world, and Estonia.