‘Something rich and strange’: Translating Shakespeare's poetry into Japanese

Abstract

Translating poetry is difficult, and in a language so far removed from English as Japanese, the complications are manifold: rhyme creates no impact, and there are no inherent stresses out of which to create Western-style rhythms. Shakespeare's poetic drama, then, presents serious obstacles to translation. Through an investigation of the different approaches to translating Shakespeare's plays into Japanese, and what it means to do so, this article reconsiders the presence of Shakespeare's works in Japan to suggest that foreignness may be a more crucial part of the popularity of the dramas than universality.