Nobel-laureate Japanese Writer’s Fiction Work Now Available in Nepali

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Nepal-Japan diplomatic relations, the Nepali translation of Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata’s ‘The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories’ has been launched. The book translated by Aruna Baidya was launched at a programme organized by the Nepal Literature Foundation and the Nepal Academy here today.

Japan’s Ambassador to Nepal, Toru Maeda, while launching the literary work, mentioned that there has been a historically deep relationship between the people of Nepal and Japan. He clarified that Nepal and Japan not just have diplomatic relations, but also cultural, literary, and intellectual connections.

According to him, the number of Nepali students going to Japan for studies has been increasing recently, and this is making the social ties between the two countries closer. Chancellor of Nepal Academy, Kumar Nagarkoti, emphasized the need to establish a government-level agreement to promote the literature of Nepal and Japan in each other’s countries.

He also expressed the Academy’s commitment to take the lead in expanding the translation of literature from both countries. Former minister and distinguished advisor of the Foundation, Shankar Prasad Koirala, highlighted that Japanese language and literature are rich and emphasized the need to increase the presence of Japanese literary works in the Nepali market.

Nepal’s former ambassador to Japan, Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai, said that although diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan have expanded for 70 years, social, cultural, and people-to-people ties actually started 127 years ago. He stressed that the two countries have been cooperating in economic, social, cultural, and political realms.

Umesh Shrestha, the Chief Patron of the Foundation, expressed his belief that translated works would contribute since Nepalis needs to study Japanese etiquette and literary styles. Yoshiharu Kamisura, Head of the Japanese Language Department at Bishwa Bhasha Campus, expressed the view that the novel ‘The Dancing Girl of Izu’ could serve as relevant reading material for readers in Nepal who want to understand Japanese literature, especially since there are only a few Japanese literary translations available in the country.

Translator Baidya clarified that the Nepali translation of the book ‘The Dancing Girl of Izu’, which includes four stories, has kept the essence of Japanese literature alive. According to her, translation is not just about converting words but also about doing justice to the story and characters so that people can actually feel it, which she said is an important art. (RSS)