Winner of the Yomiuri PrizeWinner of the 20242025amp160JapanUS Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese LiteratureRecipient of the 202223 William F Sibley Memorial Subvention Award for Japanese Translationamp10Introducing Tatsuhiko ShibusawaJapans Italo Calvinoamp8212in this fantastical tale of a Japanese prince who encounters both beauty and danger on a pilgrimage to Indiaamp10A fantasy set in the ninth century Takaokaamp8217s Travels recounts the adventures of a Japanese princeturnedmonk on a pilgrimage to India As Prince Takaoka and his companions pass through faraway lands the rules of the ordinary world are upended and they find curiosities and miracles wherever they go The travelers encounter strange creaturesa white ape who guards a harem of birdwomen beasts who feed on dreams a dogheaded man who can see hundreds of years into the future On the high seas their ship is boarded by ghostly pirates and driven back by supernatural winds and still they push on At every turn Prince Takaoka is drawn to the beauty around him whether it takes the form of a perfectly shaped pearl or a giant bloodred flower but such beauty proves to be extremely dangerous Seductive and mysterious offering high adventure yet deeply human this is a novel that transcends all expectationsamp10With an afterword by translator David Boyd
