Kodansha Essay Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2006) award
Kan Nozaki
のざき かん
Nozaki Kan
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1959-01-21 （Takada, Niigata, Japan (now Jōetsu)）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese, French
- Residence History
- Takada (now Jōetsu), Niigata → Tokyo, Japan → Paris, France (studies)
Career
- Occupations
- French literature scholar, Translator, Critic, University professor
- Active Years
- 1989-
- Affiliations
- Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences / College of Arts and Sciences (associate professor / professor), The Open University of Japan, Faculty of Liberal Arts (Professor), Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
- Memberships
- Japanese Association for French Language and French Literature
- Influenced By
- Gérard de Nerval, Honoré de Balzac, Stendhal
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attached Junior High School, Niigata University Faculty of Education | — | — | — | 1974 | Japan |
| Niigata Prefectural Niigata High School | — | — | — | 1974-1977 | Japan |
| University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters | Faculty of Letters | Department of French Literature | 文学士 | 1978-1981 | Japan |
| University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities (French Language and Literature) | Graduate School of Humanities | French Language and Literature | 文学修士 | 1981-1985 | Japan |
| University of Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle) | — | Doctoral program in French literature (government-funded study abroad) | — | 1985-1989 | France |
Attached Junior High School, Niigata University Faculty of Education
Period:
1974
Year of Graduation:
1974
Country:
Japan
Niigata Prefectural Niigata High School
Period:
1974-1977
Year of Graduation:
1977
Country:
Japan
University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Letters
/ Department of French Literature
Degree:
文学士
Period:
1978-1981
Year of Graduation:
1981
Country:
Japan
Entered College of Arts and Sciences; graduated from Faculty of Letters, Department of French Literature
University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities (French Language and Literature)
Graduate School of Humanities
/ French Language and Literature
Degree:
文学修士
Period:
1981-1985
Country:
Japan
Completed master's course (degree: Master of Letters)
University of Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle)
Doctoral program in French literature (government-funded study abroad)
Period:
1985-1989
Country:
France
Studied in Paris 1985–1989; left doctoral program at University of Tokyo before completion
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Belgium French-speaking Community Translation Prize | Translation of Jean-Philippe Toussaint (e.g. 'The Bathroom') | — | Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles | 受賞 |
| 2001 | Suntory Academic Prize | Jean Renoir: Cinema Across Borders | 社会・風俗部門 | Suntory Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2006 | Kodansha Essay Award | Baby Education | — | Kodansha | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Yomiuri Literary Prize (Research/Translation) | The Scent of Foreign Lands: Nerval's 'Voyage en Orient' (study) | 研究・翻訳賞 | Yomiuri Shimbun | 受賞 |
| 2019 | Kadokawa Foundation Academic Prize | It Smells of Water: Towards Masuji Ibuse | — | Kadokawa Cultural Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2021 | Konishi Foundation Japan-France Translation Literature Prize (Special Prize) | Longstanding translation work in modern and contemporary French literature | 特別賞 | Konishi International Exchange Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2021 | The Open University of Japan Research Achievement Award | Research achievements at The Open University of Japan | — | The Open University of Japan | 受賞 |
| 2024 | Minna no Tsubuyaki Literary Prize (Overseas) | Translation: 'Memories Hidden in the Depths of Humanity' | — | Shueisha (associated) | 受賞 |
Belgium French-speaking Community Translation Prize
2000
Work:
Translation of Jean-Philippe Toussaint (e.g. 'The Bathroom')
Organization:
Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
Result:
受賞
Suntory Academic Prize
2001
Work:
Jean Renoir: Cinema Across Borders
Category:
社会・風俗部門
Organization:
Suntory Foundation
Result:
受賞
Kodansha Essay Award
2006
Work:
Baby Education
Organization:
Kodansha
Result:
受賞
Yomiuri Literary Prize (Research/Translation)
2011
Work:
The Scent of Foreign Lands: Nerval's 'Voyage en Orient' (study)
Category:
研究・翻訳賞
Organization:
Yomiuri Shimbun
Result:
受賞
Kadokawa Foundation Academic Prize
2019
Work:
It Smells of Water: Towards Masuji Ibuse
Organization:
Kadokawa Cultural Foundation
Result:
受賞
Konishi Foundation Japan-France Translation Literature Prize (Special Prize)
2021
Work:
Longstanding translation work in modern and contemporary French literature
Category:
特別賞
Organization:
Konishi International Exchange Foundation
Result:
受賞
The Open University of Japan Research Achievement Award
2021
Work:
Research achievements at The Open University of Japan
Organization:
The Open University of Japan
Result:
受賞
Minna no Tsubuyaki Literary Prize (Overseas)
2024
Work:
Translation: 'Memories Hidden in the Depths of Humanity'
Organization:
Shueisha (associated)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Jean Renoir: Cinema Across Borders
2001 Film criticism / BiographyA biographical and critical study of Jean Renoir that situates his work within 20th-century film history.
film historyborder-crossingFrench cinema
Baby Education
2005 EssayPersonal essays on the trials and joys of parenting, written in a candid, warm style.
parentingfamilyself-revelation
The Scent of Foreign Lands: Nerval's 'Voyage en Orient' (study)
2010 Scholarly study / criticismA long-form study reexamining Nerval's 'Voyage en Orient', elucidating its characteristics and appeal.
19th-century French literaturetravelogue studiestranslation and reception
It Smells of Water: Towards Masuji Ibuse
2018 Literary criticism / studyA collection of essays re-evaluating Masuji Ibuse's works and life, offering new perspectives on Japanese literature.
Japanese literatureauthor studiesmemory and place
Bibliography
- Jean Renoir: Cinema Across Borders (Seidosha) 2001
- Doors to the French Novel (Hakusuisha) 2001
- Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Foreign Languages (Jinbun Shoin) 2003
- Corners of Hong Kong Cinema (Seidosha) 2005
- Baby Education (Seidosha) 2005
- Savoring French Literature with the Five Senses (Hakusuisha) 2005
- The Scent of Foreign Lands: Nerval's 'Voyage en Orient' (Kodansha) 2010
- It Smells of Water: Towards Masuji Ibuse (Shueisha) 2018
- Song of Innocence: Kenzaburō Ōe and Stories of Children (Ikino biru Books) 2022
- Translation Never Ends (Chikuma Bunko) 2025
Translations of Works
- The Elementary Particles (Michel Houellebecq), Chikuma Shobo, 2001
- The Red and the Black (Stendhal), Kobunsha Classical New Translations, 2007
- Days of the Foam (Boris Vian), Kobunsha Classical New Translations, 2011
- Night Flight / Terra of Men (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), Iwanami Bunko, 2025
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- clear and composed proselucidity that crosses criticism and translationaccessible, essayistic voice
- Recurring Motifs
- foreignness / border-crossingcinema and visual representationtranslation and cultural reception
Legacy
Through scholarship in French literature, extensive translation work, and film and literary criticism, he has significantly contributed to the reception of contemporary French literature in Japan. As an educator he has trained many students and is widely recognized for his books and translations.
Academic Societies
- Japanese Association for French Language and French Literature
Archives
- The Open University of Japan Library (related holdings)
In Popular Culture
- Broad influence via film reviews and cultural essays in newspapers and magazines
Quotes
-
His clear, composed prose, distancing itself from the obscure and pompous style often found in academic film books, is refreshing.
Source: Suntory Academic Prize selection comment (Saburō Kawamoto) (2001)
Trivia
- Played drums in a band during university days.
- An avid rock fan who has written appreciations of musicians in magazines.
- His new translation of Stendhal's 'The Red and the Black' sparked a debate over translation practice.