Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Yojirō Ishii

いしい ようじろう

Ishii Yōjirō

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1951-07-24 (Tokyo, Japan)
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, French
Residence History
Tokyo, Japan → Paris, France (study)

Career

Occupations
Literary scholar, Translator, University professor
Active Years
1975-
Affiliations
University of Tokyo (Professor Emeritus), Chubu University (Professor / Specially Appointed Professor), Japanese Society of French Language and Literature (President)
Memberships
Japanese Society of French Language and Literature
Influenced By
Isidore Ducasse (Comte de Lautréamont), Pierre Bourdieu

Education

University of Tokyo (Faculty of Letters → Faculty of Law)
Faculty of Letters / Faculty of Law
Degree: Bachelor
Period: 1970-1975
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: Japan
Entered Faculty of Letters; graduated from Faculty of Law, public law course
University of Paris IV (Sorbonne)
Master's program
Degree: Master
Period: 1976-1978
Year of Graduation: 1978
Country: France
Completed master's studies in French literature
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, University of Tokyo
Master's program (completed while serving as assistant)
Degree: Master
Period: 1978-1980
Year of Graduation: 1980
Country: Japan
Completed master's while appointed as assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences
University of Tokyo (doctoral dissertation)
Doctor of Philosophy (Gakujutsu Hakase)
Degree: PhD (学術博士)
Period: 2009
Year of Graduation: 2009
Country: Japan
Submitted doctoral thesis 'Lautréamont: Transgression and Creation' and received PhD (Gakujutsu Hakase)

Awards

Shibusawa–Claudel Prize
1991
Work: Translation of Pierre Bourdieu's 'Distinction'
Organization: Shibusawa–Claudel Prize Committee
Result: winner
Japan Translation Publishing Culture Award
2001
Work: Complete works of Isidore Ducasse (Comte de Lautréamont) (translation/edition)
Organization: Japan Translation Publishing Culture Award Committee
Result: winner
Franco-Japanese Translation Literature Prize
2001
Work: Complete works of Isidore Ducasse (Lautréamont) (translation/edition)
Organization: Franco-Japanese Translation Literature Prize Committee
Result: winner
Arts Encouragement Award (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize)
2009
Work: Lautréamont: Transgression and Creation
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs / Ministry of Education
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Lautréamont: Transgression and Creation

2008 Scholarly criticism 320 pages

A scholarly study of 19th-century French poet Lautréamont (Isidore Ducasse), exploring transgression and creativity in his work.

transgressioncreativity19th-century French literature

Distinction (translation)

1989 Translation (sociology)

Japanese translation of Pierre Bourdieu's seminal work 'Distinction', conveying analyses of social judgment and cultural capital.

cultural capitalclasssociological analysis

French Thinking: Lineage of Wild Thinkers

2010 Essays / Thought 240 pages

Examines characteristics of French modes of thought through French intellectual and literary figures.

French thoughtintellectual genealogycomparative literature

Bibliography

  • Introduction to Current French
  • Outline of French Grammar
  • Difference and Desire: Reading Bourdieu's 'Distinction'
  • Paris: Searching for the City's Memory
  • On the Novel of the Body: Soseki, Tanizaki, Dazai
  • Lautréamont: Transgression and Creation
  • French Thinking: Lineage of Wild Thinkers
  • Confessional Reading Theory
  • The University of Tokyo in Crisis: Conflicts and Missteps over Entrance Exam Reform

Translations by Author

  • Distinction (Pierre Bourdieu, Japanese translation)
  • Complete Works of Lautréamont (Isidore Ducasse, translation/edition)
  • The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Japanese translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly and rigorous argumentationaccessible explanatory prosecomparative literary and intellectual-historical approach
Recurring Motifs
transgression and boundariescreativity and desirecity and memory

Legacy

A prominent Japanese scholar of French literature, noted for studies on Lautréamont and introductions of Bourdieu. Recognized for contributions to university administration, liberal arts education, and translation.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Society of French Language and Literature

Archives

  • University of Tokyo archives (holds related materials)

Quotes

  • Well-meaning copy-pastes and unreflective retweets undermine the trustworthiness of information. It is important to be aware of information ethics in the internet age.
    Source: Commencement address, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo (2015)

Trivia

  • His father is Takazo Ishii, a former Director-General of Postal Services and former president/chairman of KDD.
  • His 2015 commencement address at the University of Tokyo attracted attention online.
  • Known for translations and introductions of Bourdieu and studies of Lautréamont.