Topic: The Tales of Ise: 100 Views of Love
Speaker: Dr. Peter MacMillan
Date: January 30, 2019 (Wednesday)
Time: 11:30 Social Gathering 11:50 Luncheon
Venue: Tokyo American Club
Fee: ¥5,000 members ¥6,000 guests
RSVP by noon on 24 January 2019
Was it you who came to me,
Or I who went to you?
I cannot tell.
Was I awake or sleeping?
Was it real, or just a dream?
Written by multiple authors over a period of approximately one hundred years, The Tales of Ise is one of the most famous and important works of Japanese literature. Consisting of 125 poem tales loosely based on the life of the hero, Narihira, a model lover of the Heian period, they evoke a world in which beauty and refinement are a way of life. Covering such themes as love, friendship, and delight in nature – these lyrical episodes combine great elegance with a subversive, experimental wit. This groundbreaking and brilliant new translation brings out the sophisticated humor and playfulness of the original, which has inspired Japanese art and literature for a millennium.
In his talk Peter will introduce the delights of this great work and talk about how Japanese culture has inspired his work as a printmaker and creator.
The Tales of Ise, Penguin Books 2016
Translated with a commentary by Peter MacMillan
Forward by Donald Keene
Speaker Profile
Peter MacMillan, Ph.D., is a prize-winning translator, scholar, poet, and artist. MacMillan teaches at The University of Tokyo and Tokyo Women’s Christian University. He is also Translator in Residence of the National Institute of Japanese Literature. His translation, One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Hyakunin Isshu), was published in 2008, winning translation prizes in both Japan and the United States. A new translation of this work was published by Penguin Books in 2018. MacMillan is currently creating the world’s first karuta (card) game based on the One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each. He also translated The Tales of Ise (Ise Monogatari), published by Penguin in 2016. He has also published a collection of poetry, Admiring Fields. Under the artist name of Seisai, he has exhibited widely, including prints and tea boxes, and created a series of prints called the “The Thirty-Six New Views of Mount Fuji”. MacMillan also makes regular TV and radio programs in Japan.
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Starter: California Crab Cake Arugula and Saffron Aioli
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Main: Surf & Turf Butter Milk Potato Puree, Winter Green Vegetables, Sauce Perigord and Hollandaise
(Vegetarian Option:
Vegetable Fried Noodle with Grilled Tofu Brochette )
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Dessert: Maple Pot de Cream
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Luncheon Program Coordinators: Joan Rodgers Doi and Shigeko Nagaoka
If you have an inquiry about luncheon reservations or need to make a cancellation, please contact: luncheonmanagers@cwaj.org
