Japanese Literature in Romanian Translation: The Case of Yukio Mishima

What is it about?

The translation and reception of Japanese literature in Romania has followed the vicissitudes of the country’s coming into modernity in the 19th century and slide into fascism and communism throughout the 20th century, as well as the subsequent ups and downs of the relationship with Japan. This research offers a brief overview of that sinuous path. It then focuses on the pre-and post-1990 reception of the works of Yukio Mishima (1925-1970), one of the iconic figures of Japan’s postwar literature and exemplary for his continued trials and tribulations with modernity. By making use of scholarly and journalistic sources, the current incipient research provides several examples of the translation and reception of Mishima’s works in Romania, as well as the extent to which his presence in this literary space has managed to permeate the psyche of Romanian scholars, literary critics and readers alike.

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