1982
CITATION
MR CHANCELLOR,
PROFESSOR MIKIO HIRAMATSU OF TOKYO IS AN OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR WHO FOR MANY YEARS HAS DEDICATED HIS CAREER TO THE DISSEMINATION OF AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE IN JAPAN, AND HAS PROVIDED INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS UNDERTAKING LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL PURSUITS IN JAPAN.
PROFESSOR HIRMATSU HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS, AND STILL REMAINS, THE LEADING JAPANESE AUTHORITY ON AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE, HIS MA.IN SUBJECT OF RESEARCH. HE WAS THE FIRST TO INTRODUCE AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE TO JAPAN WITH AN ANNOTATED TRANSLATION IN 1964 OF THE WORKS OF HENRY LAWSON. IN 1981 A SUBSTANTIAL ANTHOLOGY OF HIS TRANSLATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN SHORT STORIES WAS PUBLISHED IN JAPAN BY SYMUL PRESS. HE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY ACTIVE IN SPREADING KNOWLEDGE OF AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE AMONG THE YOUTH OF JAPAN, AND IN PROMOTING CULTURAL INTERCHANGES BETWEEN JAPANESE AND AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS.
IN 1967, PROFESSOR HIRAMATSU INAUGURATED IN TOKYO A CENTRE FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTRALIAN CULTURE. INITIALLY A MEETING PLACE FOR JAPANESE AND AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS, THE CENTRE PROGRESSIVELY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE A FULLY EQUIPPED LIBRARY, READING AND SEMINAR ROOMS, AND A FULL-TIME INFORMATION OFFICE. THE CENTRE WAS OFFICIALLY TAKEN OVER BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IN 1980. PROFESSOR HIRAMATSU HAS ORGANISED AND CHAIRED REGULAR SEMINARS ON AUSTRALIAN CULTURE AND ECONOMIC LIFE, JAPAN-AUSTRALIA RELATIONS,
AND AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE, WHICH HAVE BEEN ATTENDED BY STUDENTS OF BOTH COUNTRIES.
IN THE FIELD OF CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE FICTION HE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGED CRITIC AND COMMENTATOR. HE IS ALSO A DEDICATED WRITER OF HAIKU. PROFESSOR HIRAMATSU IS INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH, AND HAS A VALUABLE STORE OF BIOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE OF, PRESENT AND PAST JAPANESE LITERARY "GREATS". THIS BIOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE EXTENDS TO THE LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS OF VARIOUS LOCATIONS, NOTABLY DISTRICTS IN TOKYO WHICH HAVE ASSOCIATIONS FROM TOKUGAWA AND MEIJI TIMES.
A CONNOISSEUR OF SPECIALTY JAPANESE RESTAURANTS, HIS PERSONAL TRAVELS AND INTEREST IN AUSTRALIA HA VE ALSO LED HIM TO RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF THE EARLIEST JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS - THE PEARL DIVERS - AS WELL AS LECTURE AT BOTH AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND.
PROFESSOR HIRAMATSU HAS DONE MORE THAN ANY OTHER JAPANESE ACADEMIC TO FOSTER AND IMPROVE JAPAN-AUSTRALIA CULTURAL RELATIONS, AND TO FACILITATE THE ENTRY OF AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS INTO THE JAPANESE MILIEU.
MR CHANCELLOR, I PRESENT TO YOU PROFESSOR MIKIO HIRAMATSU, MASTER OF ARTS OF KEIO UNIVERSITY, FOR ADMISSION TO THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF LETTERS 'HONORIS CAUSA '. "