PEN Translation Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (1982) Winner
Hiroaki Sato
さとう ひろあき
Satō Hiroaki
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1942-01-01 （Taiwan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, English
- Residence History
- Kyoto (studies) → New York City → Amherst, Massachusetts
Career
- Occupations
- poet, translator, editor, educator
- Active Years
- 1968-
- Affiliations
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), New York, Haiku Society of America, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, American Haiku Archives (honorary curator), University of Massachusetts Amherst (adjunct)
- Memberships
- Haiku Society of America
- Influenced By
- Burton Watson, Gary Snyder, Japanese classical poetic tradition
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doshisha University | Faculty of Letters | Department of Japanese Literature | — | — | Japan |
Doshisha University
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of Japanese Literature
Country:
Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | PEN Translation Prize | — | 翻訳 | PEN (U.S.) | 受賞 |
| 1983 | American PEN Translation Prize | From the Country of Eight Islands (editor/translator) | 翻訳 | American PEN | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Japan–U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature | Breeze Through Bamboo: Selected Kanshi of Ema Saikō (translator) | 翻訳 | Donald Keene Center (prize archive) | 受賞 |
| 2017 | Japan–U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature | The Silver Spoon: Memoir of a Boyhood in Japan (translated Kansuke Naka) | 翻訳 | Donald Keene Center (prize archive) | 受賞 |
PEN Translation Prize
1982
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
PEN (U.S.)
Result:
受賞
American PEN Translation Prize
1983
Work:
From the Country of Eight Islands (editor/translator)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
American PEN
Result:
受賞
Japan–U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
1999
Work:
Breeze Through Bamboo: Selected Kanshi of Ema Saikō (translator)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
Donald Keene Center (prize archive)
Result:
受賞
Japan–U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature
2017
Work:
The Silver Spoon: Memoir of a Boyhood in Japan (translated Kansuke Naka)
Category:
翻訳
Organization:
Donald Keene Center (prize archive)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Breeze Through Bamboo: Selected Kanshi of Ema Saikō (translator)
1997 translation (kanshi anthology)An English translation of selected kanshi by Ema Saikō, aiming to convey the forms and sensibilities of kanshi in English.
naturesentimentclassical poetry
Translations
- English translation (Hiroaki Sato)
The Silver Spoon: Memoir of a Boyhood in Japan (translator)
2015 translation (memoir)An English translation of Kansuke Naka's memoir, depicting memories and scenes of boyhood in prewar and wartime Japan.
memoirprewar Japancoming of age
Translations
- English translation (Hiroaki Sato)
Ten Japanese Poets
1973 poetry anthology (translation)An anthology of modern Japanese poetry that served as an entry point introducing Japanese poetry to English-speaking readers.
modern poetrytranslationpoet introduction
One Hundred Frogs
1995 poetry / translation studyA collection presenting one hundred different translations of the same haiku and reflections on haiku and English expression.
haikutranslation experimentform and meaning
From the Country of Eight Islands (editor/translator)
1981 anthology (Japanese poetry)An anthology compiling and translating Japanese poetry into English, introducing many poets and contributing to the reception of Japanese poetry in the English-speaking world.
anthologypoetry translationcultural introduction
Bibliography
- Shikishi (1973)
- Ten Japanese Poets (1973)
- Lilac Garden (translator, 1975)
- From the Country of Eight Islands (editor/translator, 1981)
- One Hundred Frogs (1983 / revised 1995)
- Sword and the Mind (translator, 1986)
- Haiku in English (1987)
- Breeze Through Bamboo (translator, 1997)
- Silk and Insight (translator, 1998)
- Japanese Women Poets (editor/translator, 2007)
- The Silver Spoon (translator, 2015)
- On Haiku (2018)
- A Bridge of Words (2022)
Translations by Author
- Translations of John Ashbery's verse into Japanese (e.g., 'A Wave')
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- clear and precise English renderingsform-conscious translation approachdeep insight into haiku and short-form poetry
- Recurring Motifs
- nature and seasonal imageryexploration of samurai traditionmemory and personal history
Legacy
Hiroaki Sato is a major translator who introduced Japanese poetry and classical verse to English-speaking audiences; he is known for contributions to haiku studies and translation theory and has played a central role in Japan–U.S. literary exchange.
Academic Societies
- Haiku Society of America
Archives
- American Haiku Archives
In Popular Culture
- Regular columns for The Japan Times
Quotes
-
Perhaps the finest translator of contemporary Japanese poetry into American English.
Source: Praise by Gary Snyder (interview) (1982)
Trivia
- Born in Taiwan in 1942; family returned to Japan after WWII and endured hardships, including living in a stable.
- Moved to the United States in 1968 and has been based in New York, working as a translator and writer.
- Served as president of the Haiku Society of America from 1979 to 1981.
- Received the Japan–U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature in 1999 and 2017.