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Corridor of Dreams: Writing from Japan

May 2009

Image copyright Matthew Bernier

Introduction

By Allison Markin Powell

Over the past several decades, a steady stream of fascinating writers from Japan have appeared in English, including two Nobel prize winners, Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburo Oe, as well as the now wildly…

from “Sentimental Education”

By Kaho Nakayama

The woman gave birth to a baby girl at the maternity hospital and then disappeared the very same day.

Translated from Japanese by Allison Markin Powell

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from “Manazuru”

By Kawakami Hiromi

I walked on, and something followed.Enough distance still lay between us that I couldn't tell if it was male or female. It made no difference, I ignored it, kept walking.I had set out before noon…

Translated from Japanese by Michael Emmerich

from “Once Upon a Swing”

By shinji ishii

I once had a baby brother. An oh-so-very strange one at that.

Translated from Japanese by Bonnie Elliott

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Beyond Between: Translation, Ghosts, Metaphors

What is translation? Translation is an English word. Translation is, moreover, a somewhat peculiar English word. Peculiar, I would suggest, because it eludes definition. It is impossible to define because…

from “Corridor of Dreams”

For the past two months, I’ve been dreaming the same dream over and over. It only dawned on me recently. We forget most dreams, so why should I dream this again and again? It begins in the Osaka…

Translated from Japanese by Linda Hoaglund

Jingzhen, Taiwan, 1978

Wu Quan was a character. Everyone in Jingzhen enjoyed poking fun at him. He was born short and small, with eyes, nose, and mouth huddled together on a face that belonged to the masses. Sporting a trademark…

Translated from Chinese by Nancy Tsai

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