Talk Event on Naoki Prize Winner "Netsugen"

On 30 October, a talk event on Soichi Kawagoe's「熱源」(Netsugen, lit. "heat source"), which was awarded the 162nd Naoki Prize, one of the most famous prizes for literature in Japan, took place in the heart of Sapporo. The novel, based on real events, features the friendly relationship between Bronisław Piłsudski (1866-1918), Polish ethnographer, and Indigenous peoples in particular Ainu people in Karafuto (Sakhalin).

During the talk, Professor Inoue traced Piłsudski's life. I was more than happy to discuss ongoing collaboration between Polish and Ainu peoples fostered by Amareya Theatre and Ainu Women's Association Menoko-Mosimosi. At the end of the talk, Professor Jadwiga Rodowicz joined us via video to share that Piłsudski's bust was built in Shiraoi and that Polish people are getting to know Ainu people's history and culture as well. After that, two Ainu women Kimiko Naraki and Hatsumi Komatsuda played the tonkori and mukkuri and performed traditional songs.