America & Other Poems

Ayukawa Nobuo's America and Other Poems is a landmark selection of poetry that offers a rare perspective on war from an ordinary Japanese soldier's point of view. Spanning from 1947 through 1976, this collection includes work ranging from early writings about the poet's experience on the front line to poems focused on the influence of Western culture on Japanese society.

This English translation, winner of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature, provides a window into the complex postwar relationship between Western literary culture and the Japanese struggle to make sense of postwar accountability. The collection also features texts by Shogo Oketani, contextualizing Ayukawa's life and work.

Published in 2007, America and Other Poems is a significant contribution to our understanding of modern Japanese poetry and its place within the broader context of postwar Japan. With its lyrical and complex style, this collection is an important work for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of culture and identity.