Mizuki Tsujimura is one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary authors, with over forty books and several film adaptations. Translator Yuki Tejima has now brought her bestselling novel Tsunagu into English as Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon. This article looks at Tsujimura’s impact on Japanese culture and Tejima’s journey as the translator who opens her world to new readers.
Yuki Tejima; A Translator Between Two Worlds
Yuki Tejima is a literary translator who grew up between Tokyo and Los Angeles. This dual perspective shaped her career, giving her the ability to interpret Japanese books for English readers and explain English literary culture to Japanese audiences. What makes her work stand out is not only her personal connection to both languages, but also her role in introducing Mizuki Tsujimura’s bestselling novel Tsunagu to the English-speaking world, under the title Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon.
Mizuki Tsujimura: A Voice That Defines Modern Japanese Literature
Mizuki Tsujimura is one of Japan’s most prominent contemporary writers. Since her debut in 2004, she has written more than forty books, three of which are now available in English translation. Her novels span both mystery and literary fiction, and are often described with the Japanese word sasaru—a term that suggests something that stings or cuts deeply. Eight of her works have been adapted into films, and she is celebrated not only in literary circles but also in popular culture, making her a unique voice in Japan’s modern literature.
From Tsunagu to Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon
Tejima’s translation of Tsunagu highlights the delicate balance between cultural nuance and emotional truth. The story follows Ayumi, a teenager trained to act as a go-between for the living and the dead, offering fleeting reunions across worlds. In translating Tsujimura’s words, Tejima has had to carry across not just the plot but the sharp emotional intensity—how grief, love, and moral conflict are expressed in Japanese, and how they can resonate just as strongly with English readers.
Why Yuki Tejima’s Work Matters
Beyond this translation, Tejima is also part of a new generation of translators who trace their path back to early inspirations, like the 2016 Lit Hub list of Japanese books by women awaiting English translation. For her, translation is not only about language, but also about creating bridges that allow readers across languages to meet through stories.
The words above are a free interpretation and summary of Yuki Tejima’s article, “On Bringing the Novels of Mizuki Tsujimura to English Readers,” first published on Literary Hub. For a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the subject, we invite you to read the original article here: