In this article, I explore the relationship between the reproduction of hegemonic discourses of national representation in the reception of literature in translation and processes of canonization. I argue that World Literature as a paradigm hinders our efforts of overcoming the burdens of canonization. As a case study, I analyze the implications of building and reproducing a canon of Japanese literature in translation in the United States for the way Japan has been represented in public discourse in the last thirty years. I will focus on the reception of Murakami Haruki as the contemporary representative of the canon of Japanese literature in translation. My goal is to examine how the circumstances of Japanese literature in translation perpetuate mechanisms of canonization in their engagement and legitimation of an ongoing logic of representation that is non-confrontational with agents in power. I aim to test the extent to which studying the reception of East Asian literature in translation can help us promote a broader discussion on the appropriateness of such frameworks in our understanding of the contemporary literary phenomenon.
This paper sheds light on the main trends in translation of Japanese literature in contemporary Hungary and theorize the role of Haruki Murakami’s works in making Japanese literature widely recognized. Firstly, the paper gives a general overview on translations of Japanese literature in Hungary in the post-1989 era. I argue that after a decline in translation in the 1990’s, the spread of anime and manga combined with the popularity of Haruki Murakami’s novels generated a growing interest in Japanese literature and culture in Hungary resulting in changed translation strategies. While translations were limited to pieces of the so-called junbungaku (pure literature) in the pre-1989 era, numerous pieces of taishūbungaku (popular literature) have been translated since the 2000’s, attracting a wider range of readers than ever. Based on book reviews from critics and readers published in traditional and social media, the second part of this paper will explore the main platforms of Japanese literature and analyze its reception. I argue that the magical realist setting combined with dialogues on fundamental questions of life create a specific literary mode which satisfy the Western readers’ desire for the exotic Other, ensuring the place of Japanese literature in the Western literary world.