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Nozomu Hayashi

はやし のぞむ

Hayashi Nozomu

Pen Names: Sawashima Yū（Former pen name used）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949-02-20 （Sumida, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Sumida, Tokyo → Setagaya, Tokyo → Kichijoji, Musashino, Tokyo

Career

Occupations
bibliographer, Japanese literature scholar, novelist, essayist, translator, university lecturer
Active Years
1991-
Affiliations
Toyoko Gakuen Women's Junior College (former associate professor), Tokyo University of the Arts (former associate professor)
Memberships
Japan PEN Club
Influenced By
Arthur Rimbaud, Peter Kornicki

Education

Keio University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Country: Japan
Left doctoral program after completing required credits

Awards

Japan Essayist Club Award
1991
Work: Britain Is Delicious
Organization: Japan Essayist Club
Result: Winner
Kodansha Essay Award
1993
Work: Hayashi Nozomu's Dictionary of British Observations
Organization: Kodansha
Result: Winner
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Special Prize)
2013
Work: Carefully Translated The Tale of Genji (10 vols.)
Organization: Mainichi Newspapers
Result: Winner (Special Prize)
Japan Foundation International Exchange Encouragement Award
1992
Work: Early Japanese Books in Cambridge University Library: A Catalogue (co-ed.)
Organization: The Japan Foundation
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Britain Is Delicious

1991 essays 240 pages

An essay collection about British food culture and daily life observed during Hayashi's stay in the UK, mixing humor and insight.

food culturecultural observationBritain

The Long-Ago Days That Never Return

1992 novel 320 pages

A semi-autobiographical novel exploring hometown, family, and memories of the past.

memoryfamilynostalgia

Careful Translation: The Tale of Genji (10 vols.)

2013 classical Japanese translation 4200 pages

A modern-language translation and annotated 10-volume edition of The Tale of Genji, aimed at making the classic accessible to contemporary readers.

classical literaturetranslationHeian court culture

Bibliography

  • Britain Is Delicious
  • Britain Is Delightful
  • The Mystery of Holmhead
  • Clouds on the Table
  • The Long-Ago Days That Never Return
  • Hayashi Nozomu's Dictionary of British Observations
  • Careful Translation: The Tale of Genji (10 vols.)
  • Careful Translation: The Tale of the Heike (4 vols.)
  • How to Polish Japanese
  • Wandering Among Book Thickets

Translations by Author

  • Pubwatching in Britain (translator)
  • The Solitary Life: British Composers and Elegant Cooking (translation/notes)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
essayistic narrative voicea style combining humor and eruditioncareful commentary on classics
Recurring Motifs
observations of British culturereferences to Japanese classicsfood and daily lifebibliographic love of books

Legacy

Active across essays, novels, classical scholarship and translation; particularly acclaimed for his modern translation of The Tale of Genji. His bibliographic work and introductions to British culture broadened his readership.

Academic Societies

  • Japan PEN Club

Quotes

  • To examine the Japanese identity with words and heart
    Source: Yugaku Selection lecture title

Trivia

  • Formerly used the pen name Sawashima Yū.
  • Stayed at Cambridge and Oxford and worked on a catalogue of Japanese classical books.
  • Was once a smoker (including pipes) but later quit.
  • Received the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award (Special Prize) for his 10-volume translation of The Tale of Genji.