On the Question of the Translatability of Japanese Philosophical Texts Cover Image

A japán filozófiai szöveg fordíthatóságának kérdéséről Nisida Kitaró Dzen no kenkjú című írásának szemelvényei és Kuki Súzónak az Iki no kódzóhoz írt előszavának vizsgálata alapján
On the Question of the Translatability of Japanese Philosophical Texts

Author(s): Sándor Balázs Soós
Subject(s): East Asian Philosophy, Translation Studies
Published by: Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem
Keywords: Japanese philosophy; translation; Nishida Kitarō; Kuki Shūzō

Summary/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.

  • Issue Year: XVIII/2026
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 15-27
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Hungarian
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