BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Kinji Ito, associate professor of Japanese in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, received an award in the 10th Japan International Translation Competition for his translation of a nineteenth-century Japanese text.
Hosted annually by the Government of Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Japan International Translation Competition is an initiative aimed at discovering and fostering emerging translators of Japanese literature. The competition is divided into three categories: Contemporary Literature (English translation), Contemporary Literature (Spanish translation), and Classical Literature (English translation).
For this year's competition, the source text for the Classical Literature category was Iseki Takako Nikki, written by Iseki Takako and annotated by Fukasawa Akio. Participants were asked to translate the diary — originally written in the 1840s — into English. Following a rigorous judging process, the winners for each language and category were selected in January 2026. Ito, who holds a Ph.D. in Translation Studies from the State University of New York at Binghamton, received second prize in the Classical Literature category.
The award recipients will be recognized at the Japan International Literary Forum in Tokyo, Japan, on February 12, 2026.
Congratulations to Dr. Ito!
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About the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures offers courses that enhance students’ understanding of other cultures and languages as well as their own, making them prepared for lifelong learning in a multicultural world. Learn more at dllc.appstate.edu.
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The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Gibbs
January 21, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Kinji Ito is an associate professor of Japanese in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Photo submitted
Dr. Kinji Ito is an associate professor of Japanese in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Photo submitted