The Japanese Translation and Adaptation History of Vendetta!: or The Story of One Forgotten : Marie Corelli, Ruiko Kuroiwa, and Edogawa Rampo

This article explores the reception of Marie Corelli’s 1886 novel Vendetta!: or The Story of One Forgotten in Japan. Although Corelli is not widely known among contemporary Japanese readers, Vendetta was first introduced to Japan in 1893 through newspaper serialisation and quickly gained popularity. Its cultural impact extended into the early twentieth century, with a theatrical adaptation at Tokyo’s Meijiza Theatre in 1907. The novel was later included in two major literary collections ( The World Popular Literature Series in 1931 and The World Romance Literature Series in 1957) alongside other well-regarded works of literature, indicating its sustained readership. Corelli’s influence persisted indirectly through the work of Edogawa Rampo, a prominent Japanese author who adapted the plot of Vendetta into a samurai revenge story in 1931, a narrative that continues to inspire Japanese media today. This study thus examines the trajectory of the reception of Corelli’s novel in Japan, highlighting how her themes were, at times, localised and reinterpreted in these different guises.