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Hidehiko Miwa

みわ ひでひこ

Miwa Hidehiko

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1930-02-10 （Nagoya, Aichi, Japan）
Died
2018-12-15 age 88
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, French
Residence History
Nagoya → Tokyo

Career

Occupations
French literature scholar, Translator, University professor
Active Years
1953-2018
Affiliations
Kokugakuin University, Meiji University
Influenced By
Maurice Blanchot, Nathalie Sarraute, Marguerite Duras, Georges Simenon, Jules Verne, Gérard de Villiers, Samuel Beckett

Education

University of Tokyo
Faculty of Letters / Department of French Literature
Degree: 学士
Period: 1949-1953
Year of Graduation: 1953
Country: Japan
Graduated from Department of French Literature

Awards

Bungei Prize
1963
Work: Inner City
Result: 佳作 (Honorable Mention)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Inner City

1963 Fiction

Published in 1963 and awarded an honorable mention in the Bungei Prize, this work is a collection of short prose pieces exploring urban interiors and psychological landscapes, noted for experimental narration and interior depiction.

the cityinterioritydreams

Living with Cats

1972 Essays

An essay collection about living with cats, featuring warm, observational prose on coexistence with animals and the details of daily life.

catsdaily lifecoexistence

In the Midst of Dreams

1973 Short stories

A short story collection that depicts the borderlands between dreams and reality, often employing experimental elements to probe inner worlds.

dreamstransformationinner landscapes

Living with Nineteen Cats

1984 Essays

A series of essays recounting life with many cats, offering insights on individuality, others, and communal living.

catscommunal livingobservation

Dreams and Transformation: Trajectories of 20th-Century Fiction

1985 Literary criticism

A collection of literary criticism tracing transformations in 20th-century fiction, discussing dreams, the unconscious, and innovations in form.

literary criticism20th-century literaturedreams

The Announcement of Death (translation)

1971 Translation (Avant-garde French literature)

A Japanese translation of a work by Maurice Blanchot, recognized as an effort to render avant-garde thought and expression into Japanese.

avant-garde literatureontologydeath

Portrait of an Unknown Man (translation)

1960 Translation

A Japanese translation of a work by Nathalie Sarraute, praised for emphasizing psychological nuance and subtleties of narration.

psychological depictionavant-garde literature

Bibliography

  • Living with Cats (1972)
  • In the Midst of Dreams (1973)
  • Inner City (1963)
  • Living with Nineteen Cats (1984)
  • Dreams and Transformation: Trajectories of 20th-Century Fiction (1985)
  • The Announcement of Death (trans. Maurice Blanchot, 1971)
  • Portrait of an Unknown Man (trans. Nathalie Sarraute, 1960)
  • Montage Photography (translation, 1963)
  • Molloy / The Exiled (trans. Samuel Beckett, 1968)
  • The Phantom of the Opera (translation, 1987)
  • Numerous other translations (Georges Simenon, Jules Verne, etc.)

Translations of Works

  • The Announcement of Death (Maurice Blanchot)
  • Portrait of an Unknown Man (Nathalie Sarraute)
  • Molloy / The Exiled (Samuel Beckett)
  • The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Precise Japanese renderings reflecting avant-garde French sensibilitiesClear, essayistic proseDelicate depiction of psychological and dream interiors
Recurring Motifs
catsinteriority of the citydreams and transformationcultural exchange through translation

Health

  • Pneumonia
    2018-12
    Died from pneumonia

Legacy

Through scholarship and translations of French literature, he introduced a wide range of works—from avant-garde to popular fiction—to Japanese readers. He taught at Meiji University for many years and is recognized for contributions to translation history and comparative literature.

Archives

  • National Diet Library (Japan)
  • Meiji University Library

Trivia

  • Born February 10, 1930 in Nagoya.
  • Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters, Department of French Literature in 1953.
  • Became a lecturer at Meiji University in 1966 and served as assistant professor/professor from 1973 until 2001.
  • Received an honorable mention in the Bungei Prize for 'Inner City' (1963).
  • Translated a wide range of French literature including Maurice Blanchot, Nathalie Sarraute, Marguerite Duras, and Georges Simenon.
  • Died of pneumonia on December 15, 2018 (age 88).
  • Has authority identifiers such as VIAF and ISNI and is listed in national library catalogs.