In this episode, we are joined by Professor Takashi Inoue, Professor of Japanese Literature at Shirayuri University. Prof. Inoue specializes in modern and contemporary literature and has published extensively on renowned authors Mishima Yukio and Oe Kenzaburo. His updated biography on Mishima was honored with the Yomiuri Prize for Literature in 2020, and his latest English-language work examines Japan's quest for the Nobel Prize in Literature through the narratives of “before” and “after” winning.

We discuss Prof. Inoue's aims for the 196th Nobel Symposia and the inspiration behind his exploration of Japan's literary aspirations. He shares insights drawn from archival material about the influence of diplomacy, Cold War politics, and translation techniques on Kawabata Yasunari's Nobel win. Additionally, we delve into the negative reception Oe Kenzaburo faced in Japan after his Nobel Prize and his responses to this backlash.