Mari Yonehara

2.1. Birth and Family Background

Mari Yonehara was born on April 29, 1950, in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, at St. Luke's Hospital. Her family had strong political ties. Her father, Itaru Yonehara, was a prominent member of the Japan Communist Party and served as a member of the lower house of the Japanese Diet, representing Tottori Prefecture. Her paternal grandfather, Yonehara Shōzō, held significant political positions as the President of the Tottori Prefecture Assembly and a member of the House of Peers. Her family's political background, particularly her father's role in the Communist Party, laid the foundation for her early exposure to political ideologies and international relations.

2.2. Childhood in Prague

In 1959, when Yonehara was nine years old and in the third grade at Ota Ward Magome Third Elementary School, her father was appointed as an editor for The Problems on Peace and Socialism, an international communist party magazine. This led the entire family to relocate to Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia, where the editorial office was located. Yonehara spent five formative years of her childhood, from ages nine to fourteen, in Prague.

Initially, she began studying the Czech language, but her father, anticipating a return to Japan within three to five years, decided to enroll her in an international school run directly by the Soviet Union Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This eight-year Soviet Embassy-affiliated school was exclusively for the children of foreign communist party cadres, with instruction conducted entirely in Russian. The rationale was that Russian, unlike Czech, could be continued upon their return to Japan. The school's curriculum was rigorous, with teachers dispatched from the Soviet Union and textbooks sent directly from Moscow, and it heavily emphasized communist indoctrination. Her classmates came from over 50 different countries, providing her with a unique multicultural environment.

Yonehara later recounted that the initial six months were "hell" due to the language barrier, as she understood "zero percent" of what teachers and students said, despite their laughter. The school maintained a meticulous educational approach, dividing classes into two if the number of students exceeded 20. She returned to Japan in November 1964, leaving the Soviet school in her seventh year. Upon re-entering the Japanese education system in January 1965 at Ota Ward Kaizuka Junior High School, she experienced a significant cultural shock due to the prevalence of multiple-choice or selection-based exams, a stark contrast to the essay-based examinations she was accustomed to in the Soviet school. The historical event of the Prague Spring in 1968 occurred after her return to Japan, when she was eighteen years old.

2.3. Education

After returning to Japan, Yonehara graduated from Meisei Gakuen High School in March 1969. In April of the same year, she enrolled in the folk dance department of Sakakibara Dance Academy, but left in March 1971. In April 1971, she entered the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, majoring in the Russian language. Around this time, she also joined the Japan Communist Party. After graduating from the university in March 1975, she briefly worked at Shiobunsha publishing company before resigning in March 1976.

In April 1976, she pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Tokyo, where she completed her master's degree in Russian literature and Russian culture in March 1978. While still in graduate school, in 1985, she was reportedly expelled from the Japan Communist Party in connection with the "University of Tokyo Graduate School Branch Iri Kazutomo Incident," though this claim remains unverified. Despite this, her obituary was published in the party's newspaper, Akahata, albeit without mention of her party history. After leaving the university, she taught Russian at the Soviet Gakuin (now the Tokyo Russian Language Institute) and the "university division" of Bunka Gakuin until 1990, while simultaneously building her career as a part-time interpreter and translator.

2.4. Interpreter and Translator Career

Mari Yonehara's career as an interpreter and translator was extensive and highly influential. In 1980, she co-founded the Russian Language Interpreter Association (ロシア語通訳協会_{Roshiago Tsūyaku Kyōkai}^Japanese) and served as its first secretary-in-chief. She later became the association's president, holding the position from 1995 to 1997, and again from 2003 until her death in 2006. She was also a dedicated advocate for improving the working conditions and treatment of simultaneous interpreters.

From around 1983, Yonehara established herself as a top-tier interpreter, frequently providing simultaneous interpretation for high-ranking Russian-speaking dignitaries. Her services were in particularly high demand during the Perestroika era and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. She worked extensively for news agencies, television broadcasters, and the Japanese government, interpreting for news reports and conferences related to the former Soviet Union and Russia.

A notable highlight of her career was her involvement in the TBS "Space Project" from 1989 to 1990, where she led the interpreting team for negotiations with the Soviet side. She also served as the simultaneous interpreter for TBS's special program Japanese First! To Space, which brought her widespread recognition. In January 1990, she served as the accompanying interpreter for Boris Yeltsin, then a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, during his visit to Japan. Yeltsin reportedly held her in high regard, affectionately calling her "Mari." In 1992, her contributions to the speed and accuracy of news reporting through simultaneous interpretation were recognized with the SJ Award from the Japan Society of Women Broadcasters. From April 1997 to March 1998, she also appeared as an instructor on the public broadcaster NHK's Russian language educational program.

2.5. Literary Career

Mari Yonehara developed a significant literary career as an essayist, non-fiction writer, and novelist, known for her distinctive style that blended humor, linguistic playfulness, and incisive social and cultural commentary. Her works often drew from her unique cross-cultural experiences and linguistic insights.

Her literary breakthrough came with the publication of Unfaithful Beauty or Chaste Ugly Woman (不実な美女か貞淑な醜女か_{Fujitsu na Bijo ka Teishuku na Busu ka}^Japanese) in 1994, which earned her the Yomiuri Literary Prize in 1995. In 1997, she received the Kodansha Essay Award for her 1996 work, A Dozen Witches (魔女の1ダース_{Majo no Ichidāsu}^Japanese).

One of her most acclaimed non-fiction works is The Deep Red Truth of Anya the Liar (嘘つきアーニャの真っ赤な真実_{Uso-tsuki Ānya no Makka na Shinjitsu}^Japanese), published in 2001. This book chronicles her journey to find her former classmates from the Soviet school in Prague after the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, specifically focusing on her search for Ritza from Greece, Anya from Romania, and Jasna from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The work was highly praised by critics, with Masahiro Nishiki, a selection committee member for the Ōya Sōichi Non-fiction Prize, calling it a "frightening work" and commending her "magnificent descriptive power" that made characters vividly emerge from the text. This work earned her the Sōichi Ōya Non-fiction Prize in 2002.

In 2002, she published the long novel Olga Morisovna's Rhetorical Question (オリガ・モリソヴナの反語法_{Origa Morisovuna no Hango-hō}^Japanese), which explores the life of an elderly female dancer living through the Soviet era. This novel was awarded the Bunkamura Prix des Deux Magots Literary Prize in 2003. Natsuki Ikezawa, a selection committee member, praised the novel's dual nature, stating that it "traces the unusual fate of a talented dancer while also depicting the strange reality of the Soviet Union, which is truly interesting." He noted how the old woman's vibrancy illuminated the children amidst a dark society, even as the narrative explored the loss of youthful dreams and innocence.

In her later years, Yonehara increasingly focused on her writing career, stepping back from the physically and mentally demanding work of simultaneous interpretation. From 2003, she became a regular commentator on the TBS television's Saturday evening news show, The Broadcaster (ブロードキャスター_{Burōdokyasutā}^Japanese).

2.6. Awards and Recognition

Mari Yonehara received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career, highlighting her significant contributions to both interpretation and literature:

• 1992:** SJ Award from the Japan Society of Women Broadcasters, recognizing her contribution to the speed of news reporting through simultaneous interpretation.
• 1995:** Yomiuri Literary Prize for her essay collection Unfaithful Beauty or Chaste Ugly Woman.
• 1997:** Kodansha Essay Award for A Dozen Witches.
• 2002:** Sōichi Ōya Non-fiction Prize for The Deep Red Truth of Anya the Liar.
• 2003:** Bunkamura Prix des Deux Magots Literary Prize for her novel Olga Morisovna's Rhetorical Question.

2.7. Personal Life and Hobbies

Mari Yonehara never married. She was known for her distinctive personality and hobbies, which often found their way into her essays and public appearances. She had a particular fondness for Japanese wordplay (駄洒落_dajare^Japanese) and was famously open about her love for risqué humor (下ネタ_shimoneta^Japanese). During an appearance on the television show Tetsuko's Room, host Tetsuko Kuroyanagi even introduced a well-known, sexually suggestive anecdote from Yonehara's book The Deep Red Truth of Anya the Liar, which reportedly shocked viewers.

Her other hobbies included living with numerous dogs and cats. She shared her appreciation for wordplay and risqué humor with close friends, such as the Italian simultaneous interpreter Kumiko Tamaru. Yonehara reportedly bestowed the "title" of "Shimonetta Dodge" upon Tamaru, while Tamaru affectionately called Yonehara "Ekat(e)rina" (a play on Catherine the Great).

4.1. Novels

• Olga Morisovna's Rhetorical Question (オリガ・モリソヴナの反語法_{Origa Morisovuna no Hango-hō}^Japanese) (2002) - This long novel explores the life and experiences of an elderly female dancer set against the backdrop of the Soviet era, delving into themes of lost dreams, innocence, and the peculiar realities of the Soviet system. It received the Bunkamura Deux Magots Literary Prize.

4.2. Non-fiction and Essays

Yonehara's non-fiction and essay collections are central to her literary output, often drawing on her personal history and cross-cultural observations.

• Unfaithful Beauty or Chaste Ugly Woman (不実な美女か貞淑な醜女か_{Fujitsu na Bijo ka Teishuku na Busu ka}^Japanese) (1994) - Awarded the Yomiuri Literary Prize, this collection showcases her distinctive essayistic style.
• A Dozen Witches: Pouring Cold Water on Justice and Common Sense in 13 Chapters (魔女の1ダース - 正義と常識に冷や水を浴びせる13章_{Majo no Ichidāsu - Seigi to Jōshiki ni Hiyamizu o Abiseru 13 Shō}^Japanese) (1996) - Recipient of the Kodansha Essay Award, this work exemplifies her critical and humorous approach to societal norms.
• Russia is Still Rough Today (ロシアは今日も荒れ模様_{Roshia wa Kyō mo Aremoyō}^Japanese) (1998)
• Gasenetta & Shimonetta (ガセネッタ&シモネッタ_{Gasenetta & Shimonetta}^Japanese) (2000) - A collection reflecting her fondness for wordplay and risqué humor.
• The Deep Red Truth of Anya the Liar (嘘つきアーニャの真っ赤な真実_{Uso-tsuki Ānya no Makka na Shinjitsu}^Japanese) (2001) - This acclaimed non-fiction work details her search for former classmates from her Soviet school in Prague after the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, earning her the Sōichi Ōya Non-fiction Prize.
• Midnight Sun (真夜中の太陽_{Mayonaka no Taiyō}^Japanese) (2001)
• Why Don't You Keep a Homo sapiens Male? (ヒトのオスは飼わないの？_{Hito no Osu wa Kawa nai no?}^Japanese) (2001)
• Traveler's Breakfast (旅行者の朝食_{Ryokōsha no Chōshoku}^Japanese) (2002) - An essay collection focusing on food, including Russian canned goods, halva, and vodka.
• Daytime Starry Sky (真昼の星空_{Mahiru no Hoshizora}^Japanese) (2003)
• Pants' Honor, Fundoshi's Dignity (パンツの面目ふんどしの沽券_{Pantsu no Menboku Fundoshi no Koken}^Japanese) (2005)
• Technique of Sure-Fire Jokes (必笑小咄のテクニック_{Hisshō Kobanashi no Tekunikku}^Japanese) (2005) - Her last published work before her death.
• Similarities in Other Proverbs - Proverb Anthropology (他諺の空似 - ことわざ人類学_{Tagen no Sorani - Kotowaza Jinruigaku}^Japanese) (2006)
• An Amazingly Great Book That Knocks You Down (打ちのめされるようなすごい本_{Uchinomesareru Yō na Sugoi Hon}^Japanese) (2006) - A collection of book reviews, which also documents her battle with ovarian cancer.
• Invention Maniac (発明マニア_{Hatsume Mania}^Japanese) (2007) - A posthumously published collection of her serialized column.
• Never Keep a Homo sapiens Male for Life (終生ヒトのオスは飼わず_{Shūsei Hito no Osu wa Kawa zu}^Japanese) (2007) - A posthumous collection of essays.
• Mari Yonehara's Law of Love (米原万里の「愛の法則」_{Yonehara Mari no "Ai no Hōsoku"}^Japanese) (2007) - A compilation of her lectures.
• Reason for Having Hair on Your Heart (心臓に毛が生えている理由_{Shinzō ni Ke ga Haeteiru Riyū}^Japanese) (2008)
• Mari Yonehara Best Essays 1, 2 (米原万里ベストエッセイ 1・2_{Yonehara Mari Besuto Essei 1・2}^Japanese) (2016) - Her first best-of collections.
• The 'I' Who Is Not Great Is the Freest (偉くない「私」が一番自由_{Erakunai "Watashi" ga Ichiban Jiyū}^Japanese) (2016) - Edited and with commentary by Masaru Sato.
• People and Things 6 'Mari Yonehara (人と物6『米原万里』_{Hito to Mono 6 "Yonehara Mari"}^Japanese) (2017) - Includes eight essays and previously unreleased "Mementoes of Life."

4.3. Translated Works

Mari Yonehara's linguistic proficiency was also demonstrated through her translations of foreign works into Japanese.

• My Foreign Language Learning Method (わたしの外国語学習法_{Watashi no Gaikokugo Gakushūhō}^Japanese) by Kató Lomb (1981) - A guide for self-study in foreign languages.

4.4. Collaborations and Contributions

Yonehara contributed to numerous collaborative works, dialogues, and serialized writings, engaging with other intellectuals and public discourse.

• Nurturing Language: Mari Yonehara Dialogue Collection (言葉を育てる 米原万里対談集_{Kotoba o Sodateru Yonehara Mari Taidanshū}^Japanese) (2008)
• World of Minus 50°C: Life in the Pole of Cold (マイナス50℃の世界 - 寒極の生活_{Mainasu 50-do no Sekai - Kankyoku no Seikatsu}^Japanese) (1986, revised 2007) - Co-authored with Takahiro Sekiguchi (illustrations) and Koichi Yamamoto (photography), documenting her experience traversing 6.2 K mile ^{(10.00 K km)} in the Siberian winter for a TBS program.
• Japanese Master Essays Vol. 66 Dialect (日本の名随筆 別巻66 方言_{Nihon no Meizuihitsu Bekkan 66 Hōgen}^Japanese) (1996) - Includes her essay "To translate dialect or accent?"
• 97 Best Essay Collection: Shiba-san's Osaka Dialect (司馬サンの大阪弁 - '97年版ベスト・エッセイ集_{Shiba-san no Ōsaka-ben - '97-nenban Besuto Esseishū}^Japanese) (1997) - Includes her essay "Master of expressing musical sounds with words."
• 99 Best Essay Collection: Charcoal Day (木炭日和 - '99年版ベスト・エッセイ集_{Mokutan Biyori - '99-nenban Besuto Esseishū}^Japanese) (1999) - Includes her essay "Kanji-kana mixed writing is Japan's treasure."
• 20th Century We Lived - Vol. 2 (私たちが生きた20世紀 - 下_{Watashitachi ga Ikita 20-seiki - Ge}^Japanese) (2000) - Includes her essay "Grandfather and Father Who Ran Through Dreams."
• Reading Guide for Hope in the 21st Century (二十一世紀に希望を持つための読書案内_{Nijūisseiki ni Kibō o Motsu Tame no Dokusho Annai}^Japanese) (2000)
• 17歳のための読書案内 (17歳のための読書案内_{Jūnana-sai no Tame no Dokusho Annai}^Japanese) (2007) - Includes her essay "It's hard to persuade someone you truly love."
• Sake is the Milk of the Elderly (酒は老人のミルクである_{Sake wa Rōjin no Miruku de Aru}^Japanese) (2001) - Includes her dialogue "Truth of the Russian Distillation Society."
• Mother's Caramel (母のキャラメル_{Haha no Kyarameru}^Japanese) (2001) - Includes her essay "Substitute for Love."
• Joy of Reading (読書のたのしみ_{Dokusho no Tanoshimi}^Japanese) (2002) - Includes her essay "Least Painful Foreign Language Learning Method."
• If You Talk, You'll Understand! (話せばわかる!_{Hanaseba Wakaru!}^Japanese) (2003) - Includes her dialogue "Logic's Ear, Enumeration's Eye" with Takeshi Yoro.
• Oh, How Embarrassing (ああ、恥ずかし_{Aa, Hazukashi}^Japanese) (2003) - Includes her essay "My tongue becomes scary."
• You, Who Awaken in This Lonely Night, Light (君今この寂しい夜に目覚めている灯よ_{Kimi Ima Kono Sabishii Yoru ni Mezameru Tomoshibi yo}^Japanese) (2003) - Includes her dialogue "It's Smart to Live Away from the Country" with Makoto Sataka.
• Roundtable Discussion on Showa Literature History Vol. 4 (座談会昭和文学史 第4巻_{Zadankai Shōwa Bungakushi Dai 4-kan}^Japanese) (2003) - Includes a discussion on Hideo Kobayashi.
• Still, I Oppose War. (それでも私は戦争に反対します。_{Sore demo Watashi wa Sensō ni Hantai Shimasu.}^Japanese) (2004) - Includes her essay "Baghdad Shoe Shiner."
• I Understand Cat Language (わたし、猫語がわかるのよ_{Watashi, Nekogo ga Wakaru no yo}^Japanese) (2004) - Includes her essay "Noir with a White Tie."
• 50 Novels (小説50_{Shōsetsu 50}^Japanese) (2005) - Includes an interview about Olga Morisovna's Rhetorical Question.
• Portrait of Father and Daughter (父と娘の肖像_{Chichi to Musume no Shōzō}^Japanese) (2006) - Includes her essay "My Beloved Father's Words."
• Dialogue of Nostalgic Days (懐かしい日々の対話_{Natsukashii Hibi no Taiwa}^Japanese) (2006) - Includes her dialogue "The Brain is Made to Lie."
• That Day, That Taste (あの日、あの味_{Ano Hi, Ano Aji}^Japanese) (2007) - Includes her essay "Frozen White Fish Shavings."
• TV News Never Ends (テレビニュースは終わらない_{Terebi Nyūsu wa Owaranai}^Japanese) (2007) - Includes her dialogue "What was revealed in the Iraq hostage incident."
• Aunt's Conspiracy (叔母の陰謀_{Oba no Inbō}^Japanese) (2004) - A short story published in the Yomiuri Shimbun.
• Sensei's Study (センセイの書斎_{Sensei no Shosai}^Japanese) (2006) - An illustrated report on "books at work," featuring Mari Yonehara's "Information organization techniques using files and boxes."
• One Character, One Meeting (一字一会_{Ichiji Ichie}^Japanese) (2006) - A contribution to a serialized book.

Mari Yonehara's works have also been translated into other languages, including Korean and Chinese, expanding her reach beyond Japan:

• Korean Translations:**
  • Prague Girlhood (프라하의 소녀시대^Korean) (2006) - Translated by Lee Hyun-jin, originally The Deep Red Truth of Anya the Liar.
  • A Dozen Witches (마녀의 한 다스^Korean) (2007) - Translated by Lee Hyun-jin, originally A Dozen Witches.
  • Proverb Anthropology: The Globe's 365 Days Explained Through Proverbs (속담인류학 -- 속담으로 풀어 본 지구촌 365일^Korean) (2007) - Translated by Lee Hyun-jin, originally Similarities in Other Proverbs - Proverb Anthropology.
  • Pants Humanities (팬티 인문학^Korean) (2010) - Translated by Noh Jae-myung, originally Pants' Honor, Fundoshi's Dignity.
• Chinese Translations:**
  • Mari Yonehara's Interpretation Scene (米原萬里的口譯現場^Chinese) (2016) - Translated by Zhang Ming-min, originally Unfaithful Beauty or Chaste Ugly Woman.
  • Traveler's Breakfast (旅行者的早餐^Chinese) (2017) - Translated by Wang Zun-yan, originally Traveler's Breakfast.
  • Mari Yonehara (米原万里^Chinese) (2018) - Translated by Wang Yue, originally People and Things 6 'Mari Yonehara.