What question did this study set out to answer?

The paper aims to examine how authorial authority is negotiated and appropriated in Japanese literature, particularly through translations and contexts of gender.

April 1, 2026Open Access

Who Are You to Speak in My Name? Authors, Translators, and Stolen Voices in Pre-War Japanese Literature

Key Points

The paper aims to examine how authorial authority is negotiated and appropriated in Japanese literature, particularly through translations and contexts of gender.
Analyzing literary texts by Dazai Osamu with a focus on translations
Investigating the cultural significance of translators since the Meiji era
Examining gender dynamics in authorial status
Translators hold a significant role in Japanese literature, countering Eurocentric views of visibility
Dazai Osamu's works reveal complex interactions between gender and authorial authority
The study suggests a need to reconsider the value of derivative works in literary studies.

Abstract

Current trends in literary studies aim to rehabilitate the status of derivative texts which are generally considered of less cultural importance than “creative writing”. However,these concerns stem from a Eurocentric approach to text production: in Japan, translators have been given a high status since the Meiji era and seem far from being “ invisible.” This paper analyzes the negotiation and appropriation of authorial authority in texts with several origins.It presents the case study of Dazai Osamu’s re-writings or hon’an focusing on power dynamics related to authorial status and gender.

Who Are You to Speak in My Name? Authors, Translators, and Stolen Voices in Pre-War Japanese Literature

Key Points

Abstract

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