Saman translates Japanese novel ‘Sensei No Kaban’

Multi-faceted artiste and renowned wordsmith Saman Athaudahetti has just released his newest novel ‘Wasantha Kunatuwa’ – a Sinhala translation of a Japanese novel ‘Sensei No Kaban’ (authored by Hiromi Kawakami), based on its English translation ‘Strange Weather in Tokyo’ by Allison Markin Powell. 

Does age matter when two hearts understand each other’s vibes?

The story is an touching love story of an old teacher and his former student who meet each other accidentally decades after leaving school. The 37-year-old girl who lives alone gradually strikes a relationship or friendship with her former teacher who is in his 60s. With the passage of time, it blossoms into love. But how complex can such a relationship be? Does age matter when two hearts understand the emotional frequencies of each other? Physical intimacy is important to any human being irrespective of age, race or religion, but for these two, food and drinks play a huge part in their subtle love story. Eating and drinking virtually cement their relationship.
Saman who has been a long-time friend of Japan, has passionately spiced the novel with the richness of Japanese culture, especially its food, lifestyle and traditional locations.
“When I read this English translation of the beautiful Japanese novel, I was overwhelmed by the Japanese experience, especially the traditional food and places I had visited. On the other hand, I was stirred by the moving story. This is the reason I decided to translate this novel into Sinhala for the benefit of Sri Lankan readers. This is published by Prem Dissanayake’s Fast Publishers. I am so grateful to my Japanese friend Gensei Ito who wrote the foreword of my book and also to Umali Thilakarathne who updated and helped me on Japanese food delicacies and their deliciousness,” Saman told Daily Mirror Life Impulse. “This book was a challenging task even for the English translator. It was indeed a challenge for me too, largely due to the uniqueness and depth of the characters, the deliciousness of Japanese food and transforming them into words,” said Saman.

text: Ramesh