Pramoedya's books hit Japan's shelves

By Kornelius Purba

TOKYO (JP): "I hope Pramoedya Ananta Toer will receive the Nobel Prize in Literature next year. Only his victory can help me move to a bigger office than I have now," Shin Kuwahara told The Jakarta Post from his small office in Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.

Kuwahara might have only been joking, but he may have learned something from the French publisher of this year's Nobel Prize winner, Chinese writer Gao Xingjian, as demands for his book have suddenly increased following the announcement.

Kuwahara's company, Mekong Publishing Co., Ltd., has published the Japanese translation of the books of the internationally recognized writer since 1983, including Ningen no Daichi (Bumi Manusia, The Earth of Mankind), Subete no Minzoku no Ko (Anak Semua Bangsa, Children of All Nations), Sokuseki (Jejak Langkah, The Trace), and Gerira no Kazoku (The Guerrilla Family).

"After working hard since 1978 to carry out this noble duty, what I have profited from this business is a bicycle. With Pramoedya's win I may be able to buy my own car," he said in a joking manner.

Apart from Pramoedya's works, Kuwahara also published the translated versions of works by senior journalist Muchtar Lubis (Jalan Tak Ada Ujung, The Endless Road , and the late Catholic priest Y.B. Mangunwijaya (Ikan Ikan Hiu, Ido, Honae?, Sharks).

"The Toyota Foundation subsidized the publication of the books by Lubis and Mangunwijaya," said Kuwahara about the financial assistance received for the publications.

The foundation, set up by the country's largest automotive manufacturer, has also agreed to provide similar assistance to publish another of Pramoedya's writing Rumah Kaca (Glass House), and Iwan Simatupang's book Merahnya Merah (The Redness of the Red).

He expects Iwan's book to soon hit the market, while Pramoedya's will be marketed in March next year.

"During the Soeharto era, it was difficult to find sponsors from Japanese companies, especially in publishing the so-called blacklisted writers. But with the dramatic changes in Indonesia, I hope that the companies will gradually become more willing to help me," Kuwahara said.

Other books include Arjuna Mencari Cinta (Arjuna Seeks Love), which was written by journalist Yudhistira A.M Massardi, and poems by W.S. Rendra. Not one of their books have sold 2,000 copies.

"The sales of Massardi's book were also not so good, despite the story's setting, which takes place in Japan. Young readers find it difficult to enjoy the story because it talks about Japan's olden times," Kuwahara said.

He met Pramoedya in the early 1980s in Jakarta, not long after the writer's release from the notorious detention camp on Buru island, Maluku.

All the books were translated from Indonesian to Japanese by Prof. Noriaki Oshikawa from the Daito Bunka University.

Kuwahara decided to publish the translated books after receiving strong moral support from the late Kenji Tsuchiya, a professor of literature from Kyoto University.

"Every October through the years, journalists from The Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun ask us to wait for the announcement of the Nobel Prize for Pramoedya. But it always ends in disappointment," Kuwahara said and burst into laughter.

Kuwahara said this year was the best opportunity for Pramoedya to win the world's most prestigious award because his name has been nominated for the prize since the 1980s. Pramoedya's books have also been translated into various languages, including English, French, Dutch, Russian and German.

Last year, for the first time since the 1960s, Pramoedya was allowed to go abroad. He received an honorary doctorate from Michigan University for his extraordinary contribution to world literature last year.

In September this year, Pramoedya, where the ban on his books was just officially lifted by the Attorney General's Office a few weeks ago, received the Fukuoka Prize from Japan. The prize was awarded by the Fukuoka prefectural government for his outstanding service in developing literature.

"Pramoedya's books are bestsellers compared to other Indonesian books. However, even the best book Ningen no Daichi has not been able to sell more than 5,000 copies since 1986," Kuwahara said.

He said Pramoedya had earned a total of about US$4,000 from his copyrights. The author is entitled to five percent of the selling price of each book.

"Compared to famous authors, the book written by Komiyasu Komatsu on his experiences traveling across Indonesia had sold no less than 6,000 until 1999 since its first launch some years ago," Kuwahara said about Komatsu, a Japanese national, who has been living in Indonesia for more than five years after completing his studies at the University of Indonesia.

Kuwahara is the owner of the Mekong Publishing Co., Ltd., which specializes in publishing translated writings from Southeast Asian countries, especially the works of authors and writers from Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.

He was rather disappointed when the market gave a cool reception to the launch of a book that contains the letters of Myanmar's opposition leader Aung Aan Syu Kii, which were sent to her friends throughout the globe.

"Her fame is not enough to boost the sale of her book," said the 56-year-old man, who graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan University in literature.

He described his company as a window for the countries' literature to Japan, because their literature was relatively unknown in Japan compared to books from the United States, Europe, China and Korea.

"My strongest motivation to publish the books is of course profit, although it needs much more time to popularize the books from Indonesia and other regional countries in Japan," Kuwahara said.

Kuwahara, the father of a 17-year-old son, established the company in 1978, soon after his return from Laos where he stayed for two years.

The company is named after the famous river which lies between Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and its border with Thailand. The capital of the landlocked country is located just a few kilometers from the border.

Realizing that it was nearly impossible to depend on revenue merely from literature, he also published travel guidebooks, including those on Bali and Java, as well as books on sociology.

"The best-selling book from my company is a sex-related book titled The Sociology of Tania Street," said the publisher.

The book is written by a Japanese housewife, based on her long observation of the night life on Tania Street in Bangkok, near the notorious Patphong entertainment area.

Bars and nightclubs located on Tania Street are only for Japanese guests, he said.

"The writer was very curious why her husband, an executive at a Japanese company in Bangkok, and his associates were very diligent about visiting Tania Street."

She interviewed many people, including the sex workers and hostesses. She concluded that a combination of superb services from the women and the bars, and the abundant money owned by the Japanese men were behind the main success of the business," Kuwahara said.

Sex stories are apparently more touching for readers, Kuwahara said and then laughed.