Translation, Literature, and MeJapanese-Turkish Literary Translators’ Visit Report #3
In conjunction with celebrations marking the centennial anniversary of Japanese–Turkish diplomatic relations, the Japan Foundation hosted a thirteen-day visit to Japan for seven early- to mid-career Turkish translators of Japanese literature in November 2024. (Japanese–Turkish Literary Translators’ Visit)
At a panel discussion held during their stay, each participant delivered a short presentation on the theme “Translation, Literature, and Me,” with Miyashita Ryo (associate professor, Osaka University) serving as moderator. This was a valuable opportunity for the seven to share with one another their initial encounters with Japanese literature and their perspectives on translating it. In this report we feature extracts from the presentations delivered by Nilgün Aydoğdu, Hatice Han, and İrem Özdel.
The seven participants with professor Miyashita at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa (November 2024)
The Landscape of Japanese Literature in Turkey
Nilgün Aydoğdu
Master’s candidate, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University; translator; Japanese language instructor
Records suggest that between 1959 and 2017, 134 works of Japanese literature made their way into Turkish. Initially, most were indirect translations via European languages like English, French, or German. Indirect translation is often less costly, making it a popular choice for publishers and allowing more works to reach the market. On the downside, however, this approach is more likely to allow inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the translation, which can lead to criticism of the work.
Things began to change in 2003 when Mariko Erdoğan translated Natsume Soseki’s Botchan directly from Japanese into Turkish. Since then, more and more translators familiar with Japanese culture have begun working directly from Japanese, and the overall quality of translation has improved. The popularity of the anime version of Asagiri Kafka and Harukawa Sango’s manga Bungo sutorei doggusu [trans. Bungo Stray Dogs] since 2020 has raised Dazai Osamu’s profile among Turkish readers, and with copyright protection expiring 75 years after an author’s death, translations of titles by Meiji-era writers are also on the rise. Translations of older Japanese literature like this still dominate, but contemporary Japanese authors are garnering attention, too—especially among younger readers. As I see it, the market is on its way to a more diverse mix of literature in direct translation from Japanese to Turkish.
Bringing the Joys of Japanese Literature to Turkey
Hatice Han
Employee, Sango Türkiye, Inc.; interpreter and translator
My interest in translating Japanese literature began—like it did for many others, I’m sure—when I fell in love with anime in high school. One of my favorites was Aoi bungaku shiriizu [Blue Literature Series], which was my gateway to the compelling perspective and depth of Dazai Osamu’s Ningen shikkaku [trans. No Longer Human]. From there I went on to books by Murakami Haruki, Natsume Soseki, and others. In my third year of university, I took a translation course and started reading Japanese literature in Japanese; that experience showed me how much richer and more expansive the worlds of the works were in the original, compared to their renderings in Turkish.
Today I translate and interpret for the Turkish branch of a Japanese auto parts manufacturer. Most of what I do involves creating meeting minutes, working up presentation materials, and interpreting to help Japanese staff members deal with day-to-day needs. In business-oriented translation, the goal is to convey the meaning exactly as it is, without adding personal interpretation. When you translate literature, though, you have to imagine the scenes and form your own take on them accordingly. I really want to bring Japanese literature to more people in Turkey, which is why I am eager to get into literary translation myself.
My First Foray into Manga Translation
İrem Özdel
Research student, Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University
I’ve studied translations of all kinds in my university courses, but literary translation is what really resonates with me. Literature has the power to connect people and countries, and the stories that writers bring to life are amazing to explore and experience. I can now read original texts in both English and Japanese, and it has greatly broadened my horizons. I’m glad that I made languages part of my learning journey.
My first translation project was Komoto Hajime’s manga Masshuru [trans. Mashle: Magic and Muscles]. It was challenging, but honestly, I had so much fun doing it. Japanese manga often uses onomatopoeia (sound effects and mimetic words), which are hard to translate. When I couldn’t find the right equivalent in Turkish, I ended up inventing my own. I also struggled with conveying the subtle shades of meaning in the different first-person pronouns in Japanese, like watashi, boku, and ore. But those challenges are exactly what make translation so rewarding for me. Japanese culture has a growing presence in Turkey, and there are so many great Japanese books and manga that don’t yet have Turkish translations. I can’t wait to play my part as a translator in connecting audiences to these works.
Profiles
Nilgün Aydoğdu
Nilgün Aydoĝdu is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University alongside her work as a Japanese language instructor and freelance translator. She graduated at the top of her class from the university’s Japanese program in 2021. Prior to that, she studied at Tokyo Gakugei University from 2018 to 2019 on a MEXT scholarship. Aydoĝdu’s interest in the language of Japan goes back to a Japanese film she watched with her family, when she was struck by the beauty of the script scrolling by in the end credits. She is especially drawn to works that explore women’s perspectives, or that depict the heart of the human experience and the contradictions therein. Among her favorite Japanese authors are diverse figures from the modern era, including Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Enchi Fumiko, Ariyoshi Sawako, Kawakami Hiromi, Oe Kenzaburo, Dazai Osamu, Murata Sayaka, and Asabuki Mariko.
Hatice Han
Hatice Han is a Japanese interpreter and translator at the Turkish branch of a Japanese company. Before graduating in 2024 from the Japanese Language Teaching Program at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, she studied at Kyoto University from 2022 to 2023 on a MEXT scholarship. Her interest in Japanese entertainment and mystery fiction began with anime like Meitantei Konan [trans. Detective Conan]. Later, Aoi bungaku shiriizu sparked her fascination with modern Japanese literature, including Dazai Osamu’s Ningen shikkaku [trans. No Longer Human]. Looking forward, she hopes to create Turkish translations of mystery novels by Edogawa Rampo, Ayatsuji Yukito, and Arisugawa Alice, as well as Japanese “light novels” like Mori Hiroshi’s Subete ga efu ni naru [trans. The Perfect Insider] and Sigsawa Keiichi’s Kino no tabi [trans. Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World].
İrem Özdel
Currently enrolled at the Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University, on a MEXT scholarship, İrem Özdel is studying both Japanese literature and translation theory in hopes of becoming a professional translator between Japanese and Turkish. She graduated in 2024 from Boğaziçi University’s Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies after spending three years (2019–2022) at Shimonoseki City University. Her first professional translation project was Komoto Hajime’s fantasy-action manga Masshuru [trans. Mashle: Magic and Muscles], four volumes of which have hit bookstore shelves in Turkish translation as of 2025. In addition to manga, she also has a strong interest in Japanese women writers. Among her future goals is translating Nakajima Kyoko’s Chiisai ouchi [trans. The Little House], a work about women’s lives in wartime Japan.
