A Study of Indonesian Translations of Japanese Literary Works during the Japanese Military Occupation： Focusing on the Role of the Magazines Pandji Poestaka and Djawa Baroe

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the characteristics of Indonesian translations of Japanese literary works which were published in the magazines Pandji Poestaka and Djawa Baroe during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia (1942-1945). Moreover, it also examines Indonesians' perceptions of these literary translations at that time. The study shows that attention to detail was lacking in the translation process because of the restrictions in place during the period of emergency of the military administration and the limited space available in these magazines. However, none of this diminishes the essence of the stories that were translated. Although they contained a lot of propagandistic elements that were insisted upon by the Japanese military government, the most important factor in determining the final form in which they were published was the role of their translators and editors. Since the magazine was published in two languages, readers from both Japan and Indonesia each gained new knowledge about and experiences of the culture and thinking of the other through the literary works that were translated. Ultimately these works were a medium of cultural exchange between the two nations during the war.