Since 1979 the Japan-United States Friendship Commission has been awarding prizes for translations of Japanese literature. Initially one prize a year was awarded.  Starting in 1989 this was increased to two a year, one for a translation of classical literature and one for a translation of modern literature.  Occasionally, no prizes were awarded.  This was the case in 1984, 1986, 1993, and 1995.

In recent years the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture has been the host of the annual award ceremony and reception.  This year again, this ceremony and reception will take place in the reading room of our library on Friday April 18.  The 2007 Prize winners to be honored at this occasion are Anthony H. Chambers for his Tales of moonlight and rain, a translation of Ueda Akinari's Ugetsu monogatari, and Uzawa Kozue and Amelia Fielden for Ferris wheel: 101 modern and contemporary tanka.  In conjunction with this event, our library has created a display in the reading room showing a selection of works by prior prize winners.