Donald Keene

Donald Keene, born on June eighteenth, nineteen twenty-two, was a distinguished American-born scholar renowned for his profound contributions to Japanese literature. As a linguist, translator, writer, and historian, he dedicated over fifty years of his life to academia, serving as Professor Emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature at Columbia University.

His passion for Japanese culture and literature led him to become a pivotal figure in the field of Japanology. Keene's expertise and dedication were evident in his extensive body of work, which bridged the gap between Japanese and Western literary traditions.

In the wake of the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in two thousand eleven, Keene made a significant life change by retiring from Columbia University and relocating to Japan permanently. Embracing his new home, he acquired Japanese citizenship under the name Kīn Donarudo (キーン ドナルド), a reflection of his birth name in the Japanese naming order.

This name also served as his poetic pen name (雅号, gagō) and occasional nickname, expressed in the ateji form 鬼怒鳴門. Through his work and life, Donald Keene left an indelible mark on the appreciation of Japanese literature worldwide.