On the Question of the Translatability of Japanese Philosophical Texts

Abstract

Within the field of Japanese text translation, philosophical and religious texts represent a distinct layer. In addition to the general issues associated with text translation, these two areas pose several specific questions related to translation that warrant examination and discussion as subjects of long-term research. When investigating the translatability of philosophical texts, a unique challenge lies in analysing the interpretation of works recorded using characters. In this study, I aim to highlight the specific tasks and difficulties of translation through examples drawn from excerpts of Nishida Kitarō’s An Inquiry into the Good and Kuki Shūzō’s The Structure of Iki. In the analysis, I present both the modern and classical interpretations, emphasizing the specialized translation activities required to uncover the visual and linguistic networks of associative systems.