The literary market has a vast gallery of international titles, especially from English-speaking countries. However, translations from Spanish, French, Italian and German also have plenty of shelves.
The Japanese has recently been gaining more prominence, mainly for contemporary novels with the famous writer Haruki Murakami, several times nominated for a Nobel, as its representative.
However, Japanese literature has always been around, either through academic studies or by the descendant community itself. With the popularity of Japanese pop culture, interest has expanded to such an extent that today, we can find some of the most important classics of Japanese literature, as well as several manga titles published. However, there is still a lot of untranslated material published in Brazil.
We can see this through the two publications made in 2018 by the nano publishers incubated by Laboralivros. In July, the Scientific Initiation project of student Vladine Barros (UFPR) became a book with the translation of 13 poems from the anthology organized by the poet and scribe Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241).
This anthology, called Hyakunin Isshû ("Cem Poemas por Cem Poetas"), is one of the most traditional works of Japanese literature, created during the Heian Period, known as the classic Japanese era, quite different from what we know about gueixas and samurais so widespread during the Tokugawa Period.
Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony, October 22, 2019. The costumes worn date back to the Heian Era, known as the Japanese Classical Era.”
Table of Contents
Thirteen poems from Ogura Hyakunin Isshû
The book is Jusan’nin Isshû: thirteen poems from Ogura Hyakunin Isshû, published by Editora Urso. Each poem comes with the original in japanese and a detailed analysis, which helps in understanding and connecting with the text that is distant from the reader in centuries and culture, as well as a vast material that talks about the aesthetics and the poets of the Japanese classical era.
The book features classic illustrations used in the game karuta.
Oriental Horror – fantastic folk tales
The second release was the book Horror Oriental – contos populares fantásticos e sobrenaturais, in November 2018 by Editora BuruRu. This book features translations of Chinese, Korean, and 日本の tales that narrate stories of ghosts, demons, and other mystical and supernatural aspects. These texts, which date from the 3rd to the 19th centuries, are mostly unpublished in Brazil.
"With each tale, a work of ukyo-e featuring scary themes."
Irui Kon’in: fantastic tales from Japan
Editora Urso continues with the proposal to bring unpublished texts and launched through Catarse the crowdfunding campaign Irui Kon’in: contos fantásticos do Japão, which aims to produce the book Irui kon’in no mukashi banashi: contos tradicionais japonesas sobre casamentos fantásticos. The edition will bring 21 traditional tales, some rare, translated by the professor and researcher Márcia Namekata, along with the original tales in japonês.
For students of the Japanese language and culture, it is a rich material for research (especially as it is a bilingual edition), but it goes further: it is an enjoyable book that will undoubtedly be a great opportunity for the general public to learn more about the ancient culture of Japan. If you like legends, fables and fairy tales, you will surely marvel at Japanese stories!
The project will be in the ALL OR NOTHING model, meaning it can only be funded if the goal is achieved. Therefore, we have until December 16 to and make this idea truly a beautiful book! at catarse.me/iruikonin.
The movement for the diffusion of Japanese culture and literature is expanding, not only in large publishers, but also among independents.
Here is the invitation to learn more about Japanese culture and what has been published outside the major publishing circuit. We leave the link to the book Jûsan’nin Isshû: Treze poemas do Ogura Hyakunin Ishhû that Editora Urso keeps available in e-book format for free, here.
