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Edition 72 (2022) award
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Edition 72 (2022) award
Akira Mizubayashi
みずばやし あきら
Mizubayashi Akira
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1951-08-05 (Yamagata Prefecture, Japan)
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, French
- Residence History
- Yamagata Prefecture, Japan → Tokyo, Japan → Paris, France
Career
- Occupations
- French literature scholar, Writer, Translator, University professor
- Affiliations
- Meiji University (Faculty of Letters) - Lecturer/Associate Professor, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies - Associate Professor/Professor, Sophia University - Professor (Professor Emeritus)
- Influenced By
- Molière, Honoré de Balzac, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo University of Foreign Studies | Faculty of Foreign Studies | Department of French | — | — | Japan |
| The University of Tokyo, Graduate School | Faculty of Letters (graduate) | Department of French Literature (Doctoral program) | 満期退学 | — | Japan |
| École Normale Supérieure (Ulm) | — | — | — | — | France |
| University of Paris 7 (Université Paris Diderot) | — | Doctoral program | 第三期課程博士 | — | France |
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Richelieu Literary Prize | — | — | Richelieu Literary Prize Committee | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres | — | — | Ministry of Culture (France) - Ordre des Arts et des Lettres | 受章 |
| 2015 | Honorary Doctorate (Université Grenoble III) | — | — | Université Grenoble III | 授与 |
| 2017 | Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur | — | — | Légion d'honneur (France) | 受章 |
| 2017 | Honorary Doctorate (University of Montpellier III) | — | — | University of Montpellier III (Paul Valéry) | 授与 |
| 2019 | Honorary Doctorate (University of Reims) | — | — | University of Reims | 授与 |
| 2020 | Livres & Musiques de Deauville Literary Prize | Broken Soul | — | Livres & Musiques de Deauville | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Arts Encouragement Prize — Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award | Broken Soul | 文部科学大臣賞 | Agency for Cultural Affairs (Arts Encouragement Prize) | 受賞 |
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Will to Happiness: The Écriture of 'Civilization'
1994 Literary criticismA scholarly study examining the relationship between the process of 'civilization' and literary expression, using French literature to explore issues of the public, morality, and representation.
The Burial of Don Juan: History and Society in Molière's 'Don Juan'
1996 Literary criticismA study that interprets Molière's 'Don Juan' in its historical and social contexts, analyzing themes of ethics and the public sphere in the play.
The Birth of the Public, The Emergence of Literature: Rousseauian Experience and the Modern Age
2003 Literary and intellectual historyDiscusses Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas to examine the formation of the public and the emergence of literature, addressing modern experience and representation.
Candide: The Young Man Before 'War'
2005 Literary criticismA textual study interpreting Voltaire's 'Candide' in relation to war and the experience of youth.
Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' Readings: The Republic in the Dark
2007 Music and literary criticismAn essay re-examining music, politics, and republican themes through Mozart's opera 'The Marriage of Figaro'.
Being Born into Japanese, Living in French: On the Society and Language of the Coming Citizenry
2023 Essays / Cultural criticismAn essay collection reflecting on bilingual experience between Japanese and French and the language of civic society.
Une langue venue d'ailleurs (A Language from Elsewhere: My French Life)
2011 Memoir / EssaysAn autobiographical essay collection written in French, recounting the author's linguistic experience between Japanese and French.
- Japanese translation (self-translation) Misuzu Shobo 2021
Broken Soul
2019 NovelA novel first published in French, dealing with loss, memory and language.
- Japanese translation (translator: Akira Mizubayashi) Misuzu Shobo 2021
Bibliography
- The Will to Happiness: The Écriture of 'Civilization' (Misuzu Shobo, 1994)
- The Burial of Don Juan: History and Society in Molière's 'Don Juan' (Yamakawa Shuppansha, 1996)
- The Birth of the Public, The Emergence of Literature: Rousseauian Experience and the Modern Age (Misuzu Shobo, 2003)
- Candide: The Young Man Before 'War' (Misuzu Shobo, 2005)
- Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' Readings: The Republic in the Dark (Misuzu Shobo, 2007)
- Une langue venue d'ailleurs (Gallimard, 2011)
- Broken Soul (original in French 2019; Japanese translation Misuzu Shobo 2021)
- Being Born into Japanese, Living in French (Shunjūsha, 2023)
Translations by Author
- Co-translation of Roger Chartier (ed.), 'From Book to Reading' (co-translators: Toshiaki Izumi, Toshikazu Tsuyuzaki; Misuzu Shobo, 1992)
- Translation of J.-M. Apostolidès, 'Le Roi en Machine' (Misuzu Shobo, 1996)
- Translation of Daniel Pennac, 'La Douleur de l'École' (Misuzu Shobo, 2009)
Translations of Works
- Broken Soul — Japanese translation (Misuzu Shobo, 2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Comparative and historicizing styleScholarly, lucid proseA bilingual voice traversing Japanese and French linguistic sensibilities
- Recurring Motifs
- language and identitycivilization and the public spheremusic and literaturememory and lossre-readings of Molière, Balzac, Rousseau
Legacy
He has made lasting scholarly contributions to French literary studies and, through translation and creative work, contributed significantly to literary exchange between Japan and France. He has been honored by numerous French academic and cultural institutions and is regarded as an important figure bridging Japanese and French cultural dialogue.
Trivia
- Born 1951 in Yamagata Prefecture.
- Professor Emeritus of Sophia University.
- Awarded Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by the French government.
- Official website: https://www.akira-mizubayashi.com