Mad Wives and Island Dreams: Shimao Toshio and the Margins of Japanese Literature
A foundational study of Shimao Toshio and the margins of postwar Japanese literature.
Author guide
Philip Gabriel Books in Order
Philip Gabriel is an American scholar of modern Japanese literature and Professor Emeritus in the University of Arizona's Department of East Asian Studies. He is the author of two scholarly monographs on Japanese literature and has translated numerous works from Japanese, especially by Haruki Murakami and other modern Japanese writers. His translation awards include the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize and the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize.
literary criticismJapanese literaturetranslation studies
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Spirit Matters: The Transcendent in Modern Japanese Literature
A broad study of spirituality and transcendence in modern Japanese literature.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (2)
- Spirit Matters: The Transcendent in Modern Japanese Literature
nonfiction · 2006
Frequently asked questions about Philip Gabriel
Who is Philip Gabriel, and what did he do at the University of Arizona?
Philip Gabriel is a scholar and translator of modern Japanese literature. He spent more than 31 years at the University of Arizona, led its Department of East Asian Studies from 2005 to 2013, and became professor emeritus after retiring.
What is Philip Gabriel best known for?
He is best known for translating Haruki Murakami and other modern Japanese writers into English. The University of Arizona specifically identifies his work with Murakami, Kuroi Senji, Akira Yoshimura, Kenzaburo Oe, Natsuo Kirino, and Shuichi Yoshida.
Sources: eas.arizona.edu (opens in a new tab)humanities.arizona.edu (opens in a new tab)
How did Philip Gabriel become a literary translator?
While living in Japan and teaching English in the early 1980s, Gabriel joined a weekly reading circle where Japanese and American professors compared Japanese stories with published translations. Reading Tanizaki and Mishima there, followed by success in a national translation contest, encouraged him to pursue translation professionally.
What influences Philip Gabriel’s approach to translation?
Gabriel says he reads widely in English to refresh his sense of style, while aiming for prose that reads naturally in English without erasing deliberate cultural distinctiveness in the original. He also compares drafts line by line and consults native speakers and, when possible, the author.
Sources: nbmagazine.co.uk (opens in a new tab)catamaranliteraryreader.squarespace.com (opens in a new tab)
What is Philip Gabriel’s legacy as a translator?
His legacy combines long university service with acclaimed Japanese-to-English translation; the University of Arizona says his work continues to influence and inspire readers. Major markers include his 2001 Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for translating Senji Kuroi and his 2006 PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize for Kafka on the Shore.
Sources: eas.arizona.edu (opens in a new tab)pen.org (opens in a new tab)