Announcement of the Winner of the 22nd YAMAGATA BANTO Prize, 2007

OSAKA, Japan, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Yamagata Banto is a world-class self-taught scholar born in modern Osaka. Osaka Prefectural Government established the Yamagata Banto Prize in 1982 in memory of Yamagata Banto and the prize is awarded to honor outstanding publications and their authors for their contributions to the introduction of Japanese culture in foreign countries. This year the 22nd prize has been awarded to Edwin A. Cranston, Professor of Japanese Literature, Harvard University, U.S.A. in commendation of his work in researching Japanese classical literature, including the publication entitled 'A Waka Anthology, Volume One'. The award ceremony will be held and a commemorative lecture will be given in Japanese by Professor Cranston in February.

Professor Cranston commented that, "Even in my wildest dreams, I had never imagined that my love of many years for the poetry of Japan would one day be acknowledged through the award of so meritorious a prize by the scholarly world in the birthplace of that poetry."

    Prize Winner
    Prof. Edwin A. Cranston [Age 75] (U.S.A.)
    Professor of Japanese Literature, Harvard University, U.S.A.

    Prize Winning Works
    "A Waka Anthology, Volume One: The Gem-Glistening Cup" and other works

Prize

One author shall be selected as prize winner and shall be presented with the testimonial and prize money in the amount of Japanese Yen 3,000,000.

    Personal History
    -1932      Born October 18, 1932, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
    -1954      B.A., University of Arizona
    -1958-62   Graduate student in Oriental Languages, University of
               California at Berkeley
    -1966      Ph.D., Stanford University
    -1972-     Professor of Japanese Literature, Harvard University
    -1981-85, 1986-87    Chairman of Department of East Asian Languages &
                         Civilizations, Harvard University
    -July-August, 1985   Visiting Fellow, Australian National University
    -1998-99   Visiting Professor at the International Research Center for
               Japanese Studies in Kyoto

    Awards
    -1992      Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of
               Japanese Literature
    -1994      Arasawa Prize
    -2007      Lois Roth Award for a Translation of a Literary Work

    Award Ceremony and Commemorative Lecture
    Date:      February 19, 2008   14:00-16:00
    Venue:     Rihga Royal Hotel

    Past Year's Prize Works and Their Authors (Only the winners from U.S.A.)

    1st (1982)
    "World Within Wails" and other works/Dr. Donald Keene

6th (1987)

"The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature" and other works/

Dr. Earl R. Miner

8th (1989)

"Visions of Virtue in Tokugawa Japan: The Kaitokudo - Merchant Academy of Osaka" and other works/Dr. Tetsuo Najita

10th (1991)

"Translation of The Tale of Genji" and other works/Dr. Edward G. Seidensticker

11th (1992)

"Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration" and other works/Dr. Marius B. Jansen

18th (1999)

Many years of contribution to Japanese literature and cultural history studies and "Mo-hitotsu no chusei zo" and other works/Prof. Barbara Ruch

19th (2000)

"Extraordinary Persons" and series of works based on studies of Japanese art/Prof. John M. Rosenfield

20th (2001) "Embracing Defeat" and other works/Dr. John W. Dower Yamagata Banto Prize http://www.pref.osaka.jp/bunka/banto/jusyo/banto.htm Contact: Yumi Miyake Cultural Affairs Division Department of Civic and Cultural Affairs Osaka Prefectural Government Phone: +81-6-6944-9140 Fax: +81-6-6944-6647 E-mail: bunka@sbox.pref.osaka.lg.jp