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Sukehiro Hirakawa

ひらかわ すけひろ

Hirakawa Sukehiro

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-07-11 （Takinogawa (then Kita-Toshima District), Tokyo Prefecture, Japan (now southern Kita Ward, Tokyo)）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, English, French, Italian, German
Residence History
Takinogawa, Tokyo, Japan → France (study abroad) → Italy (study abroad) → Germany (study abroad) → Fukuoka (Fukuoka Jogakuin University) → Osaka (Otemae University)

Career

Occupations
comparative literature scholar, critic, university professor, translator, author
Active Years
1953-
Affiliations
The University of Tokyo, Fukuoka Jogakuin University, Otemae University, Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (board member)
Memberships
Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (board member), Nippon Kaigi (involved as a founding/leading signatory in related initiatives)
Influenced By
Dante Alighieri, Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo), Natsume Sōseki

Education

The University of Tokyo, College of Arts and Sciences, French Section
College of Arts and Sciences / General Education Department, French Section
Degree: 学士
Period: 1949-1953
Year of Graduation: 1953
Country: Japan
Member of the first cohort under the postwar system
The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, Department of Comparative Literature and Culture
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology / Comparative Literature and Culture
Degree: 文学修士
Period: 1953-1961
Year of Graduation: 1961
Country: Japan
Studied in France and Italy as a French and Italian government scholar
The University of Tokyo (Doctor of Letters by dissertation)
Graduate school (Humanities) / Comparative Literature and Culture
Degree: 文学博士
Period: 1961-1974
Year of Graduation: 1974
Country: Japan
Awarded Doctor of Letters in 1974 for the dissertation 'Wakon Yosai no Keifu: Meiji Japan from Inside and Outside'

Awards

2nd Kawade Cultural Prize
1967
Work: Dante, Divine Comedy (translation)
Organization: Kawade Shobo Shinsha (Kawade Cultural Prize)
Result: 受賞
Suntory Academic Prize (Social & Thought category)
1981
Work: Works on Lafcadio Hearn
Category: 社会・思想部門
Organization: Suntory Academic Prize (Suntory Foundation)
Result: 受賞
42nd Yomiuri Prize for Literature
1991
Work: Alessandro Manzoni, The Betrothed (translation)
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Medal with Purple Ribbon
1998
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
17th Watsuji Tetsurō Cultural Prize
2005
Work: Lafcadio Hearn: Colonization, Christianization, and the Opening of Civilization
Organization: Watsuji Tetsurō Cultural Prize
Result: 受賞
Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
2006
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: 受章
57th Japan Essayist Club Award
2009
Work: Arthur Waley: Translator of The Tale of Genji
Organization: Japan Essayist Club
Result: 受賞
14th Rennyo Prize
2015
Work: Western Views of Shinto: Seeking Japanese Identity
Organization: Rennyo Prize (Honganji Cultural Foundation)
Result: 受賞
37th Seiron (Right Opinion) Award
2021
Organization: Seiron Award (Sankei Shimbun)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Poetry of the Renaissance: Castles, Springs and Travelers

1961 Literary studies

A study on Renaissance poetry based on his master's thesis, discussing aspects of Western classical poetry and its literary contexts.

Renaissancepoetrycomparative literature

Wakon Yōsai Lineage: Meiji Japan from Inside and Outside

1971 Modern Japanese history / comparative culture

A major work analysing Meiji Japan's encounter with Western civilization from both internal and external perspectives in comparative-cultural terms.

Meiji Restorationcivilizational comparisonmodernization
Translations
  • English translations/editions available (introduced in foreign academic contexts)

The Shock of the West and Japan

1974 Comparative cultural history

Discusses the impact of Western civilization on Japanese society and culture from a comparative viewpoint.

Westernizationcultural contactcomparative history

Natsume Sōseki: The Struggle of the Non-Western

1976 Comparative literature / literary criticism

A study of Natsume Sōseki's thought and works, examining tensions between non-Western perspectives and modern knowledge.

Natsume Sōsekimodern knowledgeEast-West comparison

Dante, Divine Comedy (colloquial translation)

1966 Translation (classical literature)

A colloquial Japanese translation of Dante's Divine Comedy emphasizing readability; the translation received acclaim and awards such as the Kawade Cultural Prize.

translationDantemedieval literature

Lafcadio Hearn: Colonization, Christianization, and the Opening of Civilization

2004 History / comparative culture

Examines Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) as a focal point to discuss colonialism, Christianization, and aspects of modern Japan.

Lafcadio Hearncolonialismreligion and culture
Translations
  • Edited volumes and papers in English available

Bibliography

  • Poetry of the Renaissance: Castles, Springs and Travelers (1961)
  • Wakon Yōsai Lineage: Meiji Japan from Inside and Outside (1971)
  • The Shock of the West and Japan (1974)
  • Natsume Sōseki: The Struggle of the Non-Western (1976)
  • Dante: Divine Comedy (colloquial translation, 1966; revised/complete editions later)
  • Lafcadio Hearn: The Dream of Escaping the West (1981)
  • Lafcadio Hearn: Colonization, Christianization, and the Opening of Civilization (2004)
  • The Betrothed (Manzoni translation, 1989)
  • Arthur Waley: Translator of The Tale of Genji (2008)
  • The Happiness of Living in Japanese (2014, retitled)

Translations by Author

  • Dante, Divine Comedy (colloquial Japanese translation)
  • Alessandro Manzoni, The Betrothed (translation)
  • Carlo Goldoni, The Watchful Widow, etc. (translations)
  • Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron (translated/edited)

Translations of Works

  • The Shock of the West and Japan (English editions/academic publications)
  • Selected works included in English-language edited volumes

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear prose grounded in comparative-cultural and historical analysisReadable, colloquial approach in translationsBroadly learned, synthetic argumentation
Recurring Motifs
East-West encounter and frictiontranslation and receptionmodernization and identity

Legacy

Renowned as a scholar and translator who analysed Japan's encounter with the West from comparative-cultural perspectives and introduced Western classics to Japanese readers. In addition to academic achievements, he is noted for public commentary and involvement in policy-oriented institutes.

Trivia

  • Known for a colloquial Japanese translation of Dante's Divine Comedy that helped renew interest in the work in Japan.
  • Studied in France, Italy and Germany during graduate education and used multilingual skills in scholarship.
  • Served as a board member of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals and engaged in public/political commentary.
  • Recipient of national honors including the Medal with Purple Ribbon and the Order of the Sacred Treasure.