Japanese Literature in the Spotlight: From Murakami to Fukushima Reflections
A French survey of Japanese literature aligns with Japan's role as the guest of honor at the Paris Book Fair and the one-year anniversary of the Fukushima disaster. Key titles include Kenzaburô Ôé's 'Notes de Hiroshima' and 'Arrachez les bourgeons, tirez sur les enfants' (Gallimard), alongside Haruki Murakami's '1Q84' and 'Chroniques de l'oiseau à ressort' (Belfond). François Noudelmann's 'Tombeaux' delves into Yukio Mishima's life. Emerging writers are represented by Hideo Furukawa's 'Alors Belka, tu n'aboies plus ?' (éd. Philippe Picquier), Kôtarô Isaka's 'Pierrot-la-Gravité' (éd. Philippe Picquier), and Mieko Kawakami's 'Seins et œufs' (Actes Sud). Yoko Ogawa's 'Lectures des otages' and critiques of the nuclear sector are also featured, along with a special issue of 'Nouvelle Revue française' showcasing various authors.
Key facts
- Japanese is the second most translated language in France, with one in ten translated books coming from Japan.
- Japan is the guest of honor at the Paris Book Fair this spring.
- The first anniversary of the Fukushima disaster is being marked.
- Kenzaburô Ôé's 'Notes de Hiroshima' (1963-1965) and 'Arrachez les bourgeons, tirez sur les enfants' are reissued in March by Gallimard.
- Philippe Forest's book on Ôé is also reissued in March with new chapters and an interview post-March 11, 2011.
- Hideo Furukawa's 'Alors Belka, tu n'aboies plus ?' follows soldier-dogs through major 20th-century conflicts.
- Kôtarô Isaka's 'Pierrot-la-Gravité' is over 450 pages, blending detective fiction and sociological fable.
- Mieko Kawakami's 'Seins et œufs' discusses mammoplasty and female body image.
- Yoko Ogawa's 'Lectures des otages' is structured as eight evenings of storytelling by hostages.
- Akira Yoshimura's 'Arc-en-ciel blanc' contains four stories composed between 1953 and 1964.
- Yoko Tawada's 'Journal des jours tremblants – Après Fukushima' critiques nuclear industry and social disparities.
- The 'Nouvelle Revue française' has a special Japan issue edited by Philippe Forest.
Entities
Artists
- Haruki Murakami
- Kenzaburô Ôé
- Yukio Mishima
- François Noudelmann
- Hideo Furukawa
- Kôtarô Isaka
- Mieko Kawakami
- Akira Yoshimura
- Yoko Ogawa
- Yoko Tawada
- Philippe Forest
- Michel Butor
- René de Ceccatty
- Michaël Ferrier
- Mori Ôgai
- Toshiyuki Horie
- Jacques Reda
- Michel Foucault
- Valéry Larbaud
- Mariko Ozaki
- Kang Sang Jung
- Corinne Quentin
- Cécile Sakai
- Riôjy Nakamura
- Ryûnosuke Akutagawa
- Tolstoï
- Picasso
- Chagall
- Gandhi
- Tokugawa
Institutions
- Salon du livre (Paris)
- Belfond
- Gallimard
- éd. Cécile Defaut
- éd. Philippe Picquier
- Actes Sud
- Verdier
- Picquier
- Nouvelle Revue française
- Société des auteurs de romans policiers
- Grand Prix de la science-fiction
Locations
- France
- Japan
- Paris
- Fukushima
- Hiroshima
- Siberia
- Osaka
- Tôhoku
- Kantô
Sources
- artpress —