Japanese Literary Awards

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Makoto Kenmoku

けんもく まこと

Kenmoku Makoto

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1952-08-27 （Saitama Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2013-07-14 age 60
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, French

Career

Occupations
Translator, Haiku poet, Poetry researcher, High school teacher
Active Years
1976-2013
Affiliations
Japanese Association of French Language and French Literature, Japan Association of Translators, Haiku Poets Association, International Haiku Exchange Association
Influenced By
Chuya Nakahara, Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Matsuo Bashō, Hōsai Ozaki

Education

Gakushuin University
Faculty of Letters
Degree: 文学士
Period: 1972-1976
Year of Graduation: 1976
Country: Japan
Gakushuin University Graduate School (French Literature)
French Literature
Country: Japan
Withdrew after obtaining credits in doctoral program

Awards

Haijin Association New Critics Award
1998
Work: The Cursed Poet: Hoshio Ozaki (Ōsaki Hōsai)
Category: 評論
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Translation and Publishing Culture Award
1995
Work: The Romance of the Rose (Japanese translation)
Category: 翻訳
Organization: Japan Translation and Publishing Culture Award committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Cursed Poet: Hōsai Ozaki

1996 Criticism / Research

A critical study of Hōsai Ozaki's life and haiku. Introduces Ozaki's poetic world and examines the history and characteristics of his reception.

HaikuPersonal historyPoetic solitude

Portrait d'un moineau à une patte (French translation: Selected 100 haiku of Hōsai Ozaki)

1991 Translation (Poetry)

A French selection of Hōsai Ozaki's haiku translated into French. Co-translated with Alain Kerberin and published in France.

HaikuTranslationIntroducing Japanese poetry abroad
Translations
  • French translation

Bashō Seigneur ermite (Complete French translations of Matsuo Bashō)

2012 Translation (Haiku)

A complete French translation of Matsuo Bashō's haiku. Co-translated with Dominique Chipot.

HaikuClassical translationJapan-France cultural exchange
Translations
  • French translation (complete)

Bibliography

  • The Cursed Poet: Hōsai Ozaki (Shunjusha) 1996
  • Selected Haiku by Makoto Kenmoku (Japanese-French editions I & II) (Private) 2004, 2010
  • Portrait d'un moineau à une patte (co-translated) 1991
  • The Romance of the Rose (Japanese translation) Michitani 1995
  • Bashō Seigneur ermite (co-translated) La Table Ronde 2012

Translations by Author

  • French translations of works by Masaoka Shiki, Santōka Taneda, etc.
  • French translations of atomic-bomb poems (co-translated with Patrick Blanche)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Clear prose and precise dictionA translation style that navigates between haiku and Western poetic techniques
Recurring Motifs
NatureSolitudeWar and atomic bombingForm of haiku and issues of translation

Legacy

Makoto Kenmoku contributed to the international introduction of Japanese haiku and poetry through French translations, leaving achievements in haiku research and interdisciplinary poetry studies.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Association of French Language and French Literature
  • Japan Association of Translators
  • Haiku Poets Association
  • International Haiku Exchange Association

Trivia

  • Withdrew from the doctoral program at Gakushuin University after obtaining credits.
  • Continued translation and research activities while working as a high school teacher.
  • Has authority identifiers such as VIAF, ISNI, and national library IDs.