News
2026.01.14
【Special Lecture Series for Members】Weaving Time and Worlds through Words: The Philosophy of Translator Peter MacMillan
I-House hosts Special Lectures for Members featuring distinguished practitioners from various fields to foster exchange among members. For the first lecture of 2026, to be held on February 18 , we are delighted to welcome translator, poet, and artist Peter MacMillan.
Classical literary works like Man’yoshu and Hyakunin Isshu have captivated readers for centuries. Yet conveying their rich worlds to people of different eras, languages, and cultures requires far more than simple word-for-word rendering.
How does one interpret and reconstruct the sensibilities, emotions, and historical contexts embedded within these works?
Translation demands creative daring and profound insight.
This Special Lecture will reexamine the enduring appeal of Japanese classical literature through the lens of translation.
Born in Ireland, MacMillan has long devoted himself to the study of these works, producing acclaimed English translations of Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse) and The Tales of Ise.
His cultural contributions were recognized in 2024 with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
Furthermore, this year he served as the meshiudo at the Imperial New Year’s Poetry Reading —being invited by the Emperor to have his poem read at the ceremony—reflecting his deep understanding of and contributions to Japanese culture.
His activities extend across diverse fields, from media appearances to coining the English title The Ghost Writer’s Wife for the NHK drama Bake Bake.
In this lecture, MacMillan will speak about the challenges and appeal of translating Japanese literature, as well as the future of translation as a creative practice.
A Q&A session and reception will follow the lecture.
This event promises to be enjoyable not only for those already familiar with classical literature but also for anyone interested in cross-cultural understanding and international exchange.
We invite you to join us for an evening where Japanese language and global sensibilities meet.
- Speaker: Peter MacMillan (translator, writer, and artist)
- Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 6:30–8:45 pm (including reception)
- Venue: Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall
- Language: Japanese (English may also be used during the Q&A; no interpretation provided)
- Admission:
I-House members and one accompanying guest: 6,000 yen/person
Non-members: 8,000yen/person
*Please present your membership card at the reception desk in front of the venue on the day of the event.
*Fee includes networking reception (light refreshments and beverages).
Start of Registration:
Members: Friday, January 16, 10:00 pm
Non-members: Thursday, January 22, 12:00 pm
*If the event reaches capacity during the member registration period, non-member registration will not be offered.
How to Apply:
Online or by phone.
Online: Apply via the link at the bottom of this page (redirects to an external ticketing site).
Phone: 03-3470-9115
Payment Methods:
For online applicants:
Credit card / debit card / prepaid card / bank transfer / convenience store / ATM
For phone applicants:
Credit card / bank transfer
*Any transfer fees incurred via bank transfer or convenience store/ATM are the responsibility of the payer.
Cancellation Policy:
As a rule, cancellations after application cannot be accepted. Please be aware of this policy before applying.
Speaker Profiles
Dr.Peter MacMillan
Peter MacMillan is a translator, writer, artist and serves as the Chairman of the Board of the True Japan Initiative. He has published many books on Japanese poetry and is currently engaged in a 10-year project to translate 4,500 poems of the Man’yōshū, Japan’s oldest extant poetry collection. He also created the first English version of the Japanese karuta card game based on the poems of the One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each and holds karuta tournaments in many countries, including Japan. He also lectures widely and makes regular TV and radio appearances; Peter is an advocate of animal rights and a flexitarian.
After graduating first place in his class from the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin, Peter earned an M.A. in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in English literature. He has been a visiting scholar at Princeton, Columbia, and Oxford Universities, and is currently a part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo, a visiting professor at Sagami Women’s University, and Musashino University. He spent two years as Visiting Translator for the National Institute of Japanese Literature in 2018-19. Peter was appointed as the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) first cultural lecturer in 2023. He has given lectures on Japanese culture and literature in Poland, Georgia, Armenia, Romania and Bulgaria. He also produced prints as an artist under the name Seisai. Born in Ireland, he is a long-term resident in Japan.
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