Special 30th Anniversary Exhibit of the Setagaya Literary Museum
Donald Keene Exhibit - Seeds in the Heart
Saturday, November 15, 2025 - Sunday, March 8, 2026

Exhibition Overview

Japanese literary scholar Donald Keene (1922-2019) began a lifelong study of Japan and Japanese culture after developing a deep interest in those subjects through a fateful encounter with Arthur Waley’s translation of The Tale of Genji and with Ryūsaku Tsunoda who taught Japanese Intellectual History. Donald Keene, who subsequently announced his naturalization as a Japanese citizen after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, dedicated his entire life to Japanese culture and literature.

“Looking back, I realize that the time I came to Japan and experienced so much inspiration was a golden age for Japanese culture comparable to the Heian and Genroku periods. I feel it was the greatest blessing from the bottom of my heart to come to Japan in those times, to subsequently live here, encounter many different people, and find a place to write.” - excerpt from the Chronicles of My Life: An American in the Heart of Japan

Who is Donald Keene, the man who learned more about Japan and Japanese culture than the Japanese people, and spent a lifetime teaching their appeal? What were the times he spent here that he described as a golden age? Tackling these questions will surely serve as a guidepost for those of us born in Japan to live in the global society of the future. This special 30th anniversary exhibit at the Setagaya Literary Museum speaks of the appeals of Japanese Culture along with the life work of Donald Keene.

Profile

Donald Keene (1922-2019) was a Japanese literature scholar and literary critic. He was born in New York, US in 1922. Serving as a Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, he was a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, and the Order of Culture. He entered Columbia University at the age of 16 in 1938. While at Columbia, he encountered Arthur Waley's translation of The Tale of Genji and his lifelong mentor, Ryusaku Tsunoda. During WWII, he served as a naval language officer interpreting for prisoners of war, as well as serving in the Battle of Okinawa, after studying Japanese at the U.S. Navy Japanese Language School. After the war, he studied the Japanese classics, such as Chikamatsu Monzaemon, at graduate school at both Columbia University and Harvard University. He then studied on exchange at the graduate school of Kyoto University in 1953. During this time, he met Michio Nagai and Hōji Shimanaka, who became lifelong friends, and made the acquaintance of such authors as Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Yasunari Kawabata, and Yukio Mishima. He became a teacher at Columbia University after returning to the US and earned his professorship in 1960. From then he spent his life traveling back and forth between Japan and the US, but acquired Japanese citizenship and became a permanent resident of Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. He passed away at the age of 96 in 2019. He remained active into his later years, and widely introduced Japanese literature and culture to the world, from the classics to contemporary literature. His major works include “Travelers of a Hundred Ages”, “Modern Japanese Literature”, “Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World”, and “The Collected Works of Donald Keene”.

Venue
Setagaya Literary Museum, 2F Exhibition Room

Closed
Mondays (or the following weekday that is not a holiday if Monday is a holiday)

Open
10:00 am - 6:00 pm (exhibition and museum shop admission closes at 5:30 pm)

Organiser
Setagaya Arts Foundation, Setagaya Literary Museum

Special cooperation
Donald Keene Memorial Foundation

Sponsorship
Utena Co., Ltd., Toho Holdings Co., Ltd.

Support
Setagaya City, Setagaya City Board of Education