ABSTRACT
Ten of Yan Lianke's books have been translated into Japanese thus far. Japan was first introduced to Yan's literature through Dream of Ding Village (Dingzhuang meng). However, it was Lenin's Kisses (Shouhuo) that brought him into the limelight. The Years, Months, Days (Nian yue ri), The Explosion Chronicles (Zhalie zhi), and Three Brothers: Memories of My Family (Wo yu fubei) were all published in 2016. As a result, the Japanese media claimed that “the era of Yan Lianke” had finally arrived. The reception of the Japanese translation of Yan's novella “Pig Bristles, White Pig Bristles” (“Hei zhu mao bai zhu mao”) in Japan marked the consolidation of Yan's literary status. In translating Yan's literature into Japanese, his three translators have always respected the original text while attempting to appropriately find creative solutions to convey the deep layers of meaning in the original Chinese. Yan's Japanese publishers have contributed to promoting his literary works in Japan, while renowned Sinologists and critics have published book reviews in mainstream media which, in turn, have led to enhancing Yan's literary influence in Japan. Under the combined effect of various forces, Yan's literature has gained the close attention of Japanese readers. However, the focus of Japanese society gradually shifted from the societal aspects of his writings to the literariness of his work. Yan's translations in Japan show the commonality in the dissemination of contemporary Chinese literature in overseas contexts and provide an interesting point of reference for the translation of Chinese contemporary literature.
