The University of Iowa Japanese Program

05/07/2026

I am pleased to announce that Penguin UK and WW Norton in the US have published my translation of the Japanese bestseller The Neverending Book, by the Akutagawa Prize-winning writer Matayoshi Naoki and the beloved children's book illustrator Yosh*take Shinsuke. LitHub selected it as their daily fiction recommendation last week; click below for a sneak preview! Now available at Prairie Lights and other fine bookstores! --Kendall Heitzman

There was this one book that was a real mess. It was the most beaten-up of all the books in the used bookstore. The other books were used, too, but they were all in such good condition that they ve…

05/01/2026

Join us on Monday evening for Honors presentations by graduating seniors Iris Engelhardt and Ava Nollen!

04/25/2026

We had a great few days with the Akutagawa Prize-winning writer Hirano Keiichirō. He read from his novel Eclipse and signed copies for dozens of people at two standing-room-only events, met with various people on campus, and toured the town with our UNESCO City of Literature office. We are grateful to the Japan Foundation New York for making this possible even after a rare New York blizzard forced us to cancel the event in February.

04/23/2026

This evening at 5pm, the Akutagawa Prize-winning writer Hirano Keiichirō will read in 1115 UCC. Books will be sold at this event by our friends at Prairie Lights. Join us!

04/23/2026

Today at 12:30 in the CLCL--a conversation with the Akutagawa Prize-winning novelist Hirano Keiichirō!

04/12/2026

Start Your Career in Japan: Beyond Study Abroad & Teaching (Webinar 4/14)

Are you wondering what’s next after graduation? While many paths to Japan involve study abroad or teaching English, there is another exciting professional option: starting a direct career in a Japanese corporation.

NECTJ and Mynavi (Japan’s leading career platform) are co-hosting a special session to show you how to navigate the "Shinsotsu" (entry-level) hiring system and launch a global career.

Why attend?
Direct Insights: Hear from Mynavi experts about how major Japanese companies hire global talent.
Market Differences: Understand the key differences between the U.S. and Japanese job searches.

Professional Asset: Learn how to turn your language skills into a long-term career strength.

Everyone is welcome, from beginners to advanced learners!

[Event Details]
Date: Tuesday, April 14
Time: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EDT)
Platform: Online (No camera or mic required)
Register here: https://forms.gle/MoZjT7vAjjHknXTJA

If you have questions, feel free to ask me or contact NECTJ at [email protected].

03/03/2026

There are still slots available for this Zoom event tomorrow evening to launch the new edition of Monkey, the great magazine of Japanese literature in English translation. Over the past few years, many students have read work by Fujino Kaori, who will be reading with Iowa grad Laurel Taylor. Furukawa Hideo and I will read from his novel Inu-oh. Click to register! --Prof. Heitzman

No one does psychological horror better than Japan, and horror is the theme of the new issue of MONKEY: New Writing from Japan! Join for a literary discussion with authors Kaori Fujino and Hideo Furukawa, translators Laurel Taylor and Kendall Heitzman, and editors Roland Kelts and Motoyuki Shibata.

02/24/2026

Our events with Japanese novelist Hirano Keiichiro have been postponed because of the blizzard on the East Coast. We hope to try again in the near future.

02/20/2026

We are honored to host the Japanese novelist Hirano Keiichiro next Tuesday, February 24. He will appear in two public events. This is the poster for the second, a reading and Q&A to be held at Prairie Lights, starting at 7:00pm. Please join us for this and for the discussion to be held at the CLCL on the first floor of Phillips Hall earlier the same day at 12:30pm (see other post)! Thanks to the Japan Foundation, International Programs, and CAPS for making this possible.

02/20/2026

We are honored to host the Japanese novelist Hirano Keiichiro next Tuesday, February 24. He will appear in two public events. This is the poster for the first, a discussion to be held at the CLCL on the first floor of Phillips Hall, at 12:30pm. Please join us for this and for the reading at Prairie Lights at 7pm that night (see other post)! Thanks to the Japan Foundation, International Programs, and CAPS for making this possible.