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William Scott Wilson

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William Scott Wilson
Wilson at Books and Books in Coral Gables, holding a copy of The Book of Five Rings
Wilson at Books and Books in Coral Gables, holding a copy of The Book of Five Rings
Born1944 (age 79–80)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
OccupationTranslator

William Scott Wilson (born 1944, Nashville, Tennessee) is known for translating several works of Japanese literature, mostly those relating to the martial tradition of that country. Wilson has brought historical Chinese and Japanese thought, philosophy, and tactics to the West in his translations of famous East Asian literature.

Awards

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On November 3, 2015, Wilson was inducted into the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for "promoting understanding of Japan through the introduction of Japanese Literature in the United States."[1]

Wilson received Japan's Foreign Minister's Commendation from the Consulate General of Japan in Miami, Masakazu Toshikage on November 15, 2005. According to the Consulate Press release:[2] The award is "conferred upon individuals or groups that have rendered especially distinguished service in strengthening the relationship between Japan and other countries. Through his literary works and translations, Mr. Wilson has contributed greatly to increased cultural understanding and friendship between the US and Japan."

His first original work, The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi, was published in 2004. He has done extensive research on Japanese philosophy and Bushido, the way of the samurai."

Timeline

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  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Dartmouth College
  • Bachelor of Arts, Japanese Language and Literature, Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, Monterey, California, USA (Now Monterey Institute of International Studies, a graduate school of Middlebury College)
  • Aichi Prefectural University, Nagoya, Japan (1975–1977) extensive Study of Edo period (1603–1868)
  • Master's Degree in Japanese Language and Literature, University of Washington at Seattle. (1979)

Books

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  • The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi, Kodansha International (October, 2004) ISBN 4-7700-2942-X
  • Walking the Kiso Road, Shambhala Publications, 2015 ISBN 9781611801255[3]
  • Oyama, Sumita. The Life and Zen Haiku Poetry of Santoka Taneda, translated by William Scott Wilson, Tuttle Publishing, 2021 ISBN 978-4-805316-55-9 [352 pp. 300 haiku and translator's introduction]

Translations

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Notes

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