As an introduction I will tell you a little about the blog and myself.
I have been fascinated by Japanese mystery and detective stories for several years now. My favorites tend to be historical and paranormal mysteries. I am also fond of “everyday life mysteries”, which is a popular sub-genre in Japan. I though it was time to do something seriously with this interest. So that’s why I created this blog.
This blog has several purposes. The most important one is the translation project.
Translation project: an introduction
The source texts will come from Aozora Bunko. This site provides broadly available, free access to Japanese literary works whose copyrights have expired. Unfortunately most of these works remain untranslated. I aim to “unlock” some of the gems and share these with the world. I want to release my translations on this blog. This will occur monthly at the very least. I will share more details about my choice of text and explain why I chose it. The first translation project will be announced later this year.
Until then I will analyze and review Japanese mystery and detective stories in their various formats. I don’t want to limit myself to a particular medium, so I will cover novels, anime, manga, movies as well as dramas!
In addition, I think it would be interesting to cover some of the “Japan stuff” in Western Europe. Fortunately I live relatively close to Düsseldorf, which has the largest Japanese population in Europe. For that reason I’d like to report on more or less related events such as the upcoming Japan Day on May 21. A coverage of a visit to a Japanese garden is also a possibility (that’s where I get my photos: see right).
I hope to offer an interesting and enriching experience through my blogging journey. In the meanwhile I’ll try to find my way around and create an identity within the blogosphere.
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