91热爆

The poet Yasuhiro Yotsumoto was born in Osaka and now lives in Munich. He is the author of 11 collections of poetry, as well as novels, essays and criticism. He has also translated poets such as Emily Dickinson, Rainer Maria Rilke and Simon Armitage into Japanese. He reads from his latest collection to be translated into English 鈥楩amily Room鈥� (Vagabond) and explains the special significance of the moon in Japanese writing about the night.聽

The critic and author Damian Flanagan has written extensively on the celebrated Japanese author Natsume Soseki. Damian has 聽translated part of his book 鈥楾en Nights of Dreams鈥� especially for The Verb. He lets us into Soseki鈥檚 uncanny night time encounters, explaining that his dream-stories reflect Japanese notions of creativity and art-making.

The comedian Yuriko Kotani is the winner of a 91热爆 New Comedy Award. 聽We asked her to explore her experiences of vague and shadowy language for The Verb. She tells Ian that she admires the British for their laid-back attitudes 鈥� epitomised by the use of the suffix 鈥榠sh鈥�. She also tries to decode the phrase 鈥榳hy not?鈥�, and explains the comedic catchphrase (heard in the routines of Japanese comic double-acts) 鈥楴andeyanen!鈥�.

Lucy North鈥檚 translation of Hiromi Kawakami鈥檚 collection of short stories 鈥楻ecord of a Night Too Brief鈥� (Pushkin) has just been published, twenty years after the book first became a best-seller in Japan. Lucy reads from the title story, a tale of metamorphosis and flux that takes place in a dream landscape where the night nibbles at you鈥β�

Akari Mochizuki (known as Mochi) sings 鈥楨nka鈥�, a style of Japanese blues which became popular in the 1960s. Mochi calls them songs of 鈥榞rudge and grief鈥�, and explains she began singing them at the age of three, but it was only in adulthood that she truly understood the emotions behind the songs. She explains the appeal of one of the most iconic 鈥榚nka鈥� called 鈥楢magi Goe鈥� and performs a special introductory song, written specially for The Verb, and an 鈥榚nka鈥� set at night called 鈥榊ozakura 翱蝉丑颈肠丑颈鈥�.