Asahi: "Little Prince" not lost in translation
A rush of new translations of the classic tale of "The Little Prince" is about to hit bookstores across Japan...The exclusive copyright for the book's translation and publishing rights in Japan, held for half a century by publishing house Iwanami Shoten expired in January... The Iwanami Shoten book was translated by the late French literature scholar Aro Naito. New versions face the heavy task of coming up with a refreshing way to tell the beloved tale. Takarajimasha chose Kurahashi, known for her experimental works, including "Cruel Fairy Tales for Adults," to create a modern translation. "Naito's translation is just perfect. However, he translated the story thinking that young children would be reading the book. My translation targets adult readers," Kurahashi said. "I expect I might be shattering long-held images of our little prince."... All four publishers plan to retain the book's familiar Japanese title- "Hoshino ojisama" (Star prince)
