Literary exhibition highlighting translated Taiwan works underway in Osaka

2023/11/06

An exhibition featuring Taiwan literary works translated into Japanese is underway in Osaka, spotlighting the vibrancy of the country’s cultural landscape and the two sides’ close relationship, according to the Ministry of Culture Nov. 1.
 
Organized by the National Museum of Taiwan Literature in the southern city of Tainan with support from Osaka University’s Taiwan Studies Project and Minoh City Semba Library, the exhibition features 60 translated books on gender and Indigenous groups. The monthlong event is being held through Nov. 25 at Osaka University’s library, after which the books will be added to its collection.
 
In addition, Mandarin editions of well-known books are on display. These include "Crystal Boys" by Pai Hsien-yung; “The Notes of a Crocodile” by Chiu Miao-chin; and “Smitten with the Ruthless Sea” by Syaman Rapongan of the Tao tribe.
 
According to NMTL Director Nikky Lin, Taiwan and Japan enjoy close academic and cultural exchanges. The current exhibition demonstrates the success of Taiwan’s efforts to publish local works in other languages and provides an opportunity for Japanese readers to get a deeper understanding of the country through literature, she added.
 
A lecture focusing on the development of Indigenous literature was also hosted by NMTL and the university’s Taiwan Studies Project Oct. 31 on campus. Paelabang Danapan from the Puyuma tribe and Taiwan studies expert Sakujiro Shimomura were invited to share their opinions.
 
The culture of the country’s Indigenous peoples is now reaching the world through translated literature, Danapan said, adding that the tribes’ philosophy of harmoniously coexisting with nature should be more widely adopted. He additionally urged academics to conduct interdisciplinary research combining the concept with ecology studies. 


Source: Noticias de Taiwan (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)