Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Sumitani Haruya

すみや はるや

Sumiya Haruya

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1931-02-05 （Gunma Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2024-06-09 （Maebashi, Gunma, Japan (home)） age 93
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, Romanian, French
Residence History
Gunma Prefecture (birthplace) → Resided in Romania (Bucharest) 1986-1990 → Maebashi (later life)

Career

Occupations
Translator, Scholar of Romanian literature
Active Years
1953-2024
Influenced By
Mircea Eliade, Mircea Cărtărescu, Liviu Rebreanu
Influenced
Japanese scholars and translators of Romanian literature

Education

University of Tokyo, Faculty of Letters (French Literature)
Faculty of Letters / Department of French Literature
Degree: 卒業
Period: 〜1953
Year of Graduation: 1953
Country: Japan
Studied French while enrolled
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Letters (doctoral program)
Faculty of Letters / Doctoral Program in Letters
Degree: 博士課程修了（博士相当）
Period: 1986-1990
Year of Graduation: 1990
Country: Romania
Completed doctoral studies while resident in Romania

Awards

Japanese Association of Translators — Best Translation (Literature)
1985
Work: Prayers to the Earth (translation of Liviu Rebreanu)
Category: 翻訳（文学）
Organization: Japanese Association of Translators
Result: 受賞
Order of Cultural Merit (Commander), Romania
2004
Organization: Romanian Government
Result: 受章
Honorary Citizen of Năsăud
2007
Organization: City of Năsăud
Result: 受誉
Japan SF Award — Achievement Prize (45th)
2025
Category: 功績賞
Organization: Japan Science Fiction Writers Club / Japan SF Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Prayers to the Earth

1985 Romanian literature (translation)

A Japanese translation of Liviu Rebreanu's work. An epic novel set against Romanian society.

societyland and belonging

The Forest of Executions

1997 Romanian literature (translation)

Translation of a work by Liviu Rebreanu, depicting historical and social contexts.

historyjustice and violence

Collected Fantastic Stories of Eliade (3 vols., co-translated)

2003 Fantastic fiction, short stories (translation)

A three-volume Japanese translation of Mircea Eliade's fantastic fiction (co-translated with Atsushi Naono).

mythfantasyreligious motifs

Why We Love Women

2015 Contemporary Romanian literature (translation)

Translation of short stories/essays by Mircea Cărtărescu.

memorydesirenostalgia

Bibliography

  • Anthology of Eastern European Folktales: Romanian Folk Tales (co-edited/translated, Koubunsha, 1978)
  • Liviu Rebreanu — Prayers to the Earth (Koubunsha, 1985)
  • Mircea Eliade — The Secret of Dr. Honigberger (co-translated, Futabu Bunko, 1990)
  • Ion Mihai Pacepa — Red Regime: Inside the Dictatorship (Koubunsha, 1993)
  • Numerous translations of Eliade and contemporary Romanian authors (1990s–2020s)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Scholarly and precise translation styleA literal-leaning approach that respects the original tone
Recurring Motifs
Eastern European folklore and mythmemory and nostalgiareligious and mythic motifs

Health

  • Cancer
    〜2024年6月（逝去）
    Likely affected late-life activities; nevertheless, he continued translation work for many years.

Legacy

Highly regarded as a leading introducer of Romanian literature to Japan; his meticulous, scholarly translations helped establish Romanian authors in Japan and earned him international honors.

Academic Societies

  • Japanese Association of Translators

Archives

  • National Diet Library (related materials and publications)

Trivia

  • Witnessed the 1989 Romanian revolution in Bucharest and published an eyewitness account.
  • Received the 45th Japan SF Award Achievement Prize despite not being a SF specialist — a rare recognition for a translator.
  • Born into the Sumiya family, which includes relatives in academia and connections to Kanzo Uchimura.