University of Toyama’s Library houses almost all of Hearn's collection. Among them are books that Hearn purchased after coming to Japan in 1890, which he used for writing his works and preparing for lectures at the Imperial University. In addition, this includes more than 500 books that Hearn purchased during his time in the United States and left behind when he came to Japan. These books were returned to the family after Hearn's death, and Hearn himself was never able to touch them again after coming to Japan. Hearn is believed to have used these books for translation and as references for writing newspaper columns.

These books sometimes contain writings by Hearn. This time, I would like to attempt to consider how Hearn utilized his collection, particularly how he understood Romanticism, by referring to some examples of his writings. Regarding Hearn's understanding of Romanticism, it will also refer to the lectures at the Imperial University, which is also considered to have significant meaning as one of the earliest receptions of Romanticism in Japan. This is because many of the students who attended Hearn's lectures at the Imperial University later became literary figures and researchers who played a major role in the acceptance of Western literature in Japan.

In Japan, the name Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904), or Koizumi Yakumo—his adopted name after joining his Japanese wife's family register—is often associated with ghost stories and nostalgic, exotic depictions of Japanese cultural heritage. He remains widely recognized by the Japanese public for his admiration, respect, and advocacy of what he considered refined and even superior aspects of Japanese culture and society, many of which faded with the rapid modernization of the Meiji Era (1868–1912). One of the most significant archives of Hearn’s private notebooks, letters, and manuscripts is housed in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia, within the Clifton Waller Barrett Collection. However, more than two-thirds of his personal notes and manuscripts were lost during the Second World War, leaving behind a collection that still contains materials difficult to classify or fully contextualize. This paper provides an overview of some of the materials from this archive that have been examined and published during my overseas sabbatical at UVA. Furthermore, it is hoped that more scholars will explore this archive and establish connections with other collections, such as those at Toyama University, to deepen our understanding of Hearn’s legacy.

Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904) and Yanagi Muneyoshi (1889–1961) observed and described the cultures and spiritualities of Japan and Korea from differing historical contexts and perspectives. This presentation analyzes the multilayered structures of "otherness" in their cultural representations, examining how historical contexts such as colonial rule and modernization shaped their viewpoints.

Hearn, during the Meiji era in Japan, praised the "beauty" and "spirituality" of Japanese culture from the perspective of a Western observer. His works often framed Japan as a "distinct culture capable of countering the West," employing a lens that was sometimes rooted in exoticism. In contrast, Yanagi Muneyoshi visited Korea under Japanese rule during the Taisho and Showa periods and was deeply inspired by the craft culture created by nameless artisans. Yanagi valued Korean ceramics and crafts as manifestations of "pure beauty created by anonymous craftsmen," though his perspective was not entirely free from the asymmetrical power dynamics between Japan and Korea.

This presentation focuses on the following two points: First, it compares the characteristics of "otherness" and the representational methods employed by Hearn and Yanagi. While Hearn depicted Japan as an "external observer," incorporating Western values and religious perspectives, Yanagi approached Korea as an "internal observer," seeing it as a symbol of "lost beauty." Through this comparison, I will highlight how their respective positions and historical contexts influenced their representations of "the other."

Second, it examines the colonial implications embedded in their cultural perspectives. Hearn’s admiration for Japanese culture often idealized it as an "Eastern virtue" that countered Western modernity, while Yanagi’s appreciation of Korean culture positioned Korea as a "simple and pure other" within the context of colonial rule. This presentation critically considers the roles such constructions of otherness played within the dynamics of dominance and subordination.

By analyzing the commonalities and differences in Hearn and Yanagi's views on otherness, this presentation aims to reevaluate the cultural and historical significance of their perspectives.

Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was highly praised as an interpreter of Japan by European readers and intellectuals from the 1880s to the 1890s. On the other hand, the international poet, Yone Noguchi (1875-1947), published many books about Japanese culture, especially from the 1900s onwards, and was also recognized as another interpreter of Japanese culture to Western societies. Although Noguchi appreciated Hearn’s works and respected his literary talent and keen insights on Japanese literature and culture, he could not meet Hearn directly while Hearn was alive in Tokyo. After Hearn’s death, Noguchi wrote a biography of Hearn and continued to publish various reviews on Hearn’s works actively until the mid-1920s. One of the main reasons why Noguchi highly evaluated Hearn was because both of them discovered the uniqueness and beauty of Japanese culture different from so-called Western culture. In this presentation, I will clarify how Hearn and Noguchi appreciated Japanese culture in comparison to Western culture, considering their differences in literary ideas, identities, and social backgrounds. They had common ideas on the beauty of Japanese literature such as Hokku, because they were writers who crossed borders between countries and had broader views on cultural diversity. However, they must have shown different appreciation for Japanese culture because their identities varied: the former was a foreigner who became a Japanese citizen, and the latter was a Japanese who experienced dual cultural identities.

Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo, 1850–1904) played a pivotal role in introducing French literature to Japanese writers, serving as a writer, translator, and educator. His literary production, English translations of French literature, and teaching activities were deeply interconnected, each informing and shaping the others. In particular, his translations provided both a foundation and a source of inspiration for his creative writing. Furthermore, Hearn’s English translations served as a crucial medium through which modern Japanese writers, including Natsume Sōseki (1867-1916) and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (1892-1927), engaged with French literature. Akutagawa, in particular, translated Hearn’s English renderings of French texts into Japanese, illustrating his sustained interest in Hearn’s translations and their impact on the reception of French literature in Japan.

This presentation examines the dynamic interplay between translation and creative writing in the works of Hearn and Akutagawa through an analysis of texts and translations by Théophile Gautier (1811-1872), Hearn, and Akutagawa. It also considers their shared engagement with the visual arts as a critical lens for understanding their literary approaches. By situating their works within the broader transnational circulation of literature, this study seeks to illuminate the intricate processes of literary adaptation and transformation that shaped modern Japanese literature’s reception of French literary traditions.

Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo, 1850–1904) played a pivotal role in introducing French literature to Japanese writers, serving as a writer, translator, and educator. His literary production, English translations of French literature, and teaching activities were deeply interconnected, each informing and shaping the others. In particular, his translations provided both a foundation and a source of inspiration for his creative writing. Furthermore, Hearn’s English translations served as a crucial medium through which modern Japanese writers, including Natsume Sōseki (1867-1916) and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (1892-1927), engaged with French literature. Akutagawa, in particular, translated Hearn’s English renderings of French texts into Japanese, illustrating his sustained interest in Hearn’s translations and their impact on the reception of French literature in Japan.

This presentation examines the dynamic interplay between translation and creative writing in the works of Hearn and Akutagawa through an analysis of texts and translations by Théophile Gautier (1811-1872), Hearn, and Akutagawa. It also considers their shared engagement with the visual arts as a critical lens for understanding their literary approaches. By situating their works within the broader transnational circulation of literature, this study seeks to illuminate the intricate processes of literary adaptation and transformation that shaped modern Japanese literature’s reception of French literary traditions.