Japanese Lit in Translation (6)

Jim Rion

Listen to me talk!

The Japan Association of Translators Book special interest group has invited me to speak online about my budding career as a literary translator and my work translating Uketsu. I plan to lay out how I got started on this path, the luck behind the Uketsu…

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Jim Rion

Translating Strange Buildings

My English translation of Uketsu's third, and longest, novel is out now worldwide. Strange Buildings expands and improves on the core concept of Strange Houses, creating a multilayered narrative around the designs of 11 different buildings, which all end up woven into a much greater,…

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Jim Rion

Translating The Ark

I do, in fact, translate more than just Uketsu books, and on February 12th the latest such was released in the UK. The Ark by Haruo Yuki. The Ark is a mystery/thriller in the honkaku mode. It tells the story of a group of seven…

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Jim Rion

Upcoming Translations

2026 is well under way. January has blurred by, and as February approaches I am stunned to realize that I have two translations coming out next month. First up is a title that has probably flown under the radar for many. The Ark by Haruo…

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Jim Rion

Translating Strange Pictures

Strange Pictures, my translation of 変な絵 by Uketsu, was published January 16 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The two versions are the same translation but tweaked for local audiences a bit. Interestingly, the UK version is being marketed as a mystery,…

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