Peter MacMillan

Peter MacMillan is an Irish translator, print-maker, poet and Japanologist. He is most notable for his prizewinning translations of classical Japanese poetry. He teaches at the University of Tokyo.
== Education and academic career ==
MacMillan was born in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in neighboring County Kildare. He studied philosophy and English literature at University College Dublin, graduating first in his class. He later completed an MA in philosophy at the same insitution, and followed by a PhD in English literature. He was a visiting fellow at Princeton, Columbia, and Oxford universities.
MacMillan moved to Japan in 1987. He was a professor at Kyorin University for several decades. He has also taught at South Carolina State University, the University of Maryland, Waseda University, Tokyo Metropolitan University, and Meisei University.
== Translations ==
MacMillan has won a number of prizes for his translations of classical Japanese into English. His translation of the One Hundred Poets One Poem Each (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), a classical poetry anthology, was awarded The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Best Translation Award, (The Donald Keene Special Prize) and the Japan Society of Translators in Japan’s Special Cultural Translation Prize. The book had been translated some 14 times to date, but the renowned Japanologist, Donald Keene wrote in the original foreword, “This is by far the best translation of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu to date.” Foreword xiv
MacMillan’s translation of The Tale of Ise (Ise Monogatari) was nominated for the PEN Award for Poetry Translation. In the Preface Donald Keene wrote: “Peter MacMillan is the premier translator of his generation. His clear and lucid translations make this complex and difficult world accessible to English-language readers and transform our understanding of Japanese poetry.”
The Tales of Ise (London: Penguin Books, 2016) Foreword xi
MacMillan was a translator in residence at the National Institute of Japanese Literature from 1 April 2018 to March 31 2020, where he completed translations of approximately 60 poems from a decorated folding screen (Byōbu|byobu-e) and a picture scroll (emakimono).
== Karuta ==
In 2017, MacMillan organized the first English competition of Karuta|karuta, a traditional game of cards in which players compete to be the first to find a card associated with a Waka (poetry)|waka poem being read aloud. The event was held at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Japan.
In 2019, MacMillan created a commercial karuta product called Whack a Waka. It is the world’s first English edition of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu karuta and incorporates MacMillan’s own translations, printed on 200 cards.
In 2020, MacMillan organized the First International Hyakunin Isshu Karuta Tournament, held in Ireland. 
== Printmaker and artist ==
Under the name Seisai, MacMillan has produced prints including the series “Thirty-six New Views of Mount Fuji,” which contrasts traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern consumerism. The Thirty-Six New Views of Mount Fuji take their starting point from Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, a series of color woodblock prints that depict Mount Fuji from thirty-six different perspectives. The prints draw upon his motifs and those of other Western and Japanese artists. By comparing the often humorous and witty disparities between the original and the recomposed images, the prints examine the differences between traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. The prints are mixed media, combining lithography, offset printing, hand-painting, and gold leaf applied by hand. 
The works are made by Seisai and Seisai Studio.
His works have been exhibited in Tokyo, New York, and Paris. 
Highway Fuji from Seisai’s print series, “Thirty-Six New Views of Mount Fuji” 
MacMillan has also produced a series of decorated Japanese tea boxes. 
== Poet and playwright ==
MacMillan also works as a poet, playwright and artist. In 2012, he published Admiring Fields, a volume of poems about both Ireland and Japan that was written under the penname Aiden Macdermot. He has also written a number of plays for the Noh theater, including “The Bridge of Erris,” and “The Sea of Faith.” 
== Cultural activities ==
MacMillan has introduced Japanese culture on NHK TV programs including “Journeys in Japan,” “Japanology Plus” and “NHK Tanka.” He has made numerous appearances on Japanese TV and in magazines and newspapers, and has lectured at universities and cultural centers both in and outside Japan. MacMillan also writes a bi-weekly column for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper on translating classical Japanese poetry into English.
In 2014, MacMillan established the Japan Cultural Institute, which is dedicated to promoting Japanese culture within Japan and overseas. He also serves as a councilor at the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan and is a member of PEN America. 
=== Translations ===
One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each A Translation of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (New York. Columbia University Press. 2008) 
The Tales of Ise|Tales of Ise (Ise Monogatari), 2016 
Eigo de Ajiwau Man'yōshū (Man'yōshū), 2019 
Category:Irish translators
Category:Irish poets
Category:People from Dublin (city)