Tanizaki's first Genji translation: adaptation and survival of a Japanese literary masterpiece in the early Shōwa period

The study of adaptation has for many years focussed primarily on that of literature to film. Adaptation from one literary work to another has traditionally received less attention. This thesis aims to establish the concept of circumstantial adaptation, a term which recognises the influence of temporal and geographical circumstances such as ideological, historical, religious, legal and economic, on literary adaptation. Literary works that violate surrounding circumstances may not survive: they may fail to be published, or be regarded as inappropriate for target audiences or may even give rise to legal action against the adaptor, author or publisher. The act of translation is also acknowledged as a form of adaptation for two reasons: word-to-word translation is impossible due to the unique characteristics of each language, and the numerous choices a translator makes reflect surrounding circumstances, which vary according to time and place. Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s first translation of Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th-century Tale of Genji has been chosen to demonstrate circumstantial adaptation. Analysis of Tanizaki’s choices in relation to style and censorship, using translation and adaptation theory, reveal a strong correlation between those choices and the circumstances of pre-war 1930s Japan. The significance of this study is that its principles can provide a deeper analysis of how literary works relate to and are a product of their environment.