Finally, finally, we have published the English version.
Will foreigners really accept it?
Will Marlon (the main character of this work) be able to spread his wings to the world?
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that English translation is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.
When Okakura Tenshin once published “The Book of Tea” in English, he took great pains to choose words and phrases that could be understood by people living in any English-speaking country.
And above all, his insistence on publishing his own works in English was considerably influenced by the words of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto and Arata Tendo in their book of conversations.
I have been influenced by the words of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto and Arata Tendo in their conversation book, “I wonder why Japanese writers do not write in English. I have asked both the late Kenji Nakagami and Ryu Murakami why they do not write in English. Why don’t they write in English? Most of them say, ‘I can’t write in English now, even if it takes me a lifetime,’ but I think you can do it. If you look around the world, there are many writers who write in languages other than their native tongue. It doesn’t have to be good English. If you write only in Japanese, you will never reach the world.
I am not even close to Shohei Otani of the big leagues, and my field is completely different from his, but I spent a great deal of time to create this work. Regardless of the outcome, I would like to send it out into the world.
So, I am happy that I was able to send a book to the English-speaking world.
And since it is a work that can be read by young children, I have used simple English as much as possible. I hope that English learners in Japan will also read this book.
See you soon.
