The First Post of 2021!

Finally, the first post of 2021! I would like to share my new year’s resolutions, although it might be a little too late.. Never mind! This year, I am going to introduce more and more Japanese literature and culture. So far, the main book I have used in my classes is the Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories edited by Theodore Goosen, which is a superb book. After this book, I am thinking of using the Penguin Book edited by Jay Rubin or Monkey edited by Motoyuki Shibata. It would be great to deal with varied stories of contemporary literature as well as with the classics this year.

Speaking of the Penguin Book, last week, I had the privilege of meeting up with Yuki (@booknerdtokyo ) at a relaxing café in Shibuya and had a great conversation. We shared our views on how avidly Japanese literature is being read all over the world. Thank you Yuki for your always inspiring and beautiful posts!

Also, another thing I have been requested to do by some of the participants is to hold a casual workshop of translation. If you are Japanese learners, you could come to one of those sessions! Last year, I studied hard and got the Japanese teaching license as well. This year, I will utilize both English and Japanese more and more!

Last, my wife got a job in Taiwan, so we’re going to relocate to Taipei shortly. Because of that, I’ve lately been reading books on Taiwan. The more I learn about Taiwan, the more I get interested in its rich and diverse culture. One of my goals this year is to compare Taiwanese and Japanese literature as well.