I was recently watching an anime called “Nerima Daikon Brothers”. I didn’t particularly care for this anime series but something that stood out to me was an episode where two of the main cast members reenacted the ending to a novel called “A Dog of Flanders”. This reenactment led to the villain breaking down into tears due to their childhood memories of reading the book. This stood out to me and I decided to do some research which would lead me to discover some surprisingly popular works of English-language literature in Japan.
Starting with the work that piqued my interest, A Dog of Flanders was written by English novelist Marie Louise de la Ramée who worked under the pseudonym Ouida and was originally released in 1872. The book is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world but has proven incredibly popular in Japan, the Philippines and Korea. The story behind its popularity can be traced to a Japanese diplomat who discovered the book in 1908 and sent some copies back to Japan.
Since then, the novel has become a children’s classic and has been adapted into a variety of Japanese films and anime series. One of the most famous adaptations was the 1975 anime series that aired as part of World Masterpiece Theater which has continued to remain popular to this day. Interestingly, the book only received a translation into Dutch in 1987 and is practically unknown in Flanders. As you might imagine, this can cause quite a bit of confusion when Japanese tourists burst into tears in front of the paintings in Antwerp Cathedral!
Another one of the surprisingly popular works of English-language literature in Japan is Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Green Gables was written by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery and was originally published in 1908. The book proved to be an instant success and has remained a defining force in Canadian literature.
The story of how Anne of Green Gables was introduced to Japan goes back to 1939 when a Canadian missionary called Loretta Leonard Shaw gave a copy of the book to a translator and friend called Hanako Muraoka. Hanako spent the war translating the book and Anne of Green Gables was published in Japanese in 1952. The book proved to be an instant hit and was eventually added to the school curriculum in the 1970s.
The book was adapted into an anime series in 1979 as part of World Masterpiece Theater, amusingly called Red-Haired Anne, and was directed by legendary anime director Isao Takahata. Interestingly, 3500 Japanese tourists visit Prince Edward Island each year to visit the Green Gables house and surrounding area but perhaps even more astonishing is the fact that an exact replica of Green Gables house exists in Canadian World theme park in Hokkaido, Japan!
The stories of how these books found their way to Japan and how they have become so popular is fascinating. It is also important to remember that a culture is made up of many influences not just from within but from without as well. Knowledge of books like these helps us to understand Japan and this research has piqued my interest in reading these books one day. Let me know your thoughts on A Dog of Flanders and Anne of Green Gables’ popularity in Japan, whether you have read either book, whether you were already aware of how popular these books were in Japan and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!