American writer, translator and interpreter Frederik Schodt has always been inspired by the complexities of language. However, the 67-year-old uses a fairly straightforward term to describe what modern-day U.S. fans of manga might think of him today, saying they might "hate" him.
Schodt has made a name for himself over the past four decades by translating the works of such luminary figures as 漫画の神様 (Manga no Kamisama, "God of Manga") Osamu Tezuka of "Astro Boy" fame. He was invited to Tokyo in October to receive the 2017 Japan Foundation Award for his significant contribution to the understanding of Japanese culture.
The trip marked a return to a city Schodt first visited more than half a century ago, when he came to Tokyo in 1965 at the age of 15 as a son of a diplomat.
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