Kenji nakagami’s legacy: renewed interest in Korean literature

In Japan, the book Korean Modern Short Stories, originally compiled by the late writer Kenji Nakagami in 1985, was republished in July as Autumn’s Death: Korean Modern Short Stories to commemorate his 80th birthday. Nakagami, who died in 1992, assembled a collection of eight stories by prominent Korean authors he knew personally. The republished edition includes works by Han Kang’s father, Han Seung-won, Hwang Sok-yong, and Yun Heung-gil, all published between the 1970s and 1980s.

The stories largely address themes of the Korean War, national division, and the Vietnam War, issues central to the lives of the authors. Literary researcher Toyoshi Shirakawa notes the original selection lacked female writers but still represents a thoughtful compilation. Nakagami’s work built on earlier efforts to introduce Korean literature to Japanese readers, including a 1981 anthology edited by Takurei Furuyama and selections from the quarterly journal Korean Literature.

Shirakawa explains that Nakagami recognized the difficulties faced by Korea following Japan’s colonial rule and division, and believed that introducing Korean literature was important. Nakagami himself first visited Korea in 1978, traveling through Seoul and North Jeolla Province to experience traditional arts. He saw parallels between the landscapes of his hometown, Shingu in Wakayama Prefecture, and those of Korea.