"I sometimes think that if, as the result of an accident, I were to lose my knowledge of Japanese, there would not be much left for me. Japanese, which at first had no connection with my ancestors, my literary tastes, or my awareness of myself as a person, has become the central element of my life." —Donald Keene

via maerossi

#Japan
#Japanese
#translators
#DonaldKeene

Japan’s Nero? The shogun who dabbled in art while Kyoto burned

As Kyoto tore itself apart, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa busied himself with art in his sanctuary. His indifference may have birthed today's Japan.

The Japan Times