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It took almost a thousand years for The Tale of Genji to reach the West. In this century, the works of Kawataba, Abe, Mishima and their colleagues took only a few years to reach across two oceans. Today Japanese literature, like everything and everyone else in the country, is in a greater hurry. Translations are being feverishly prepared; America and Europe will see some 50 unfamiliar novels and histories in the next year. Whether those volumes make their way into foreign mainstreams remains to be seen, read and discussed. What is certain is that Japanese literature, which has earned only one Nobel Prize and to a large extent is still the region of specialists, at last seems ready for international competition. Says Hibbett: "The language has kept Japan fenced off longer than other countries. But old rules no longer apply. In literature there is no culture gap any more." —By Stefan Kanfer. Reported by
Yuki Ishikawa/Tokyo and Rosemarie Tauris Zadikov/New York