Habri Report: 26th Japan Self-Publishing Culture Awards

Award ceremony at the Arcadia Ichigaya, Tokyo, on 11 November 2023

Brinckmann receives the certificate of commendation from one of 7 judges on the stage, together with his translator Hiromi Mizoguchi.

speech in Japanese 2 — Brinckmann delivers his acceptance speech in Japanese.

See the video (about 5 minutes)

Lecture and reception at the residence of the Netherlands ambassador, Tokyo, on 17 November 2023

Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Theo Peters hosted a lecture by Hans Brinckmann at the residence of the Netherlands ambassador on Friday 17 November 2023 from 18:00hr. This lecture was organized on the occasion of the awarding of the "Best Essay Writing" prize in the 26th Japan Self-Publishing Culture Awards of Mr. Brinckmann's The Call of Japan: A Continuing Story — 1950 to the Present Day in Hiromi Mizoguchi's Japanese translation.

Brinckmann gave a lecture on his book in which he reflects on his long history with Japan.

Brinckmann first came to Japan in 1950 as a junior employee of a Dutch bank with branches all over Asia, including Japan. Aged only 18 years old, he was ready to learn from Japan's society, which was completely different from the country of his birth, the Netherlands. The book focuses not only on his private life with its many ups and downs, but more importantly on Japan's post-war history and its change from defeat in the 2^nd World War to one of the world's leading and most successful economies. He also features some of Japan's fundamental problems and vulnerabilities, and the lessons we can learn from Japan.

The Call of Japan: A Continuing Story — 1950 to the Present Day was published by Renaissance Books in London in July 2020. The Japanese translation of the book, Watashi to Nihon no Nanaju-nen meaning "Me and Japan over 70 years," was published by Nishida Shoten in Tokyo in September 2022.

Brinckmann talked about 30 minutes in front of the 45 people, then Mizoguchi briefly introduced the comment by the judges. Brinckmann`s lecture and Q and A were followed by a happy and joyous reception.