Translation team behind first complete Japanese version of 'Toji' wins Lee Hee-geon Award

The Lee Hee-geon Korea-Japan Exchange Foundation announced Monday that it has selected the team behind the world's first complete Japanese translation of Park Kyung-ni's epic novel "Toji" as the recipient of the second Lee Hee-geon Award. The ceremony was held Sunday at Shinhan Financial Group's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The Lee Hee-geon Award was established last year to honor the legacy of the late honorary chairman Lee Hee-geon, founder of Shinhan Bank, who championed Korea's economic development and the spirit of "finance for the nation." The award recognizes individuals who have contributed to academic, economic and cultural exchange between Korea and Japan. The foundation said it plans to continue expanding programs that support such bilateral exchange.

This year's recipients are Kim Seung-bok, CEO of Cuon Publishing, and translators Shimizu Chisako and Yoshikawa Nagi — the three-member team that completed the full Japanese translation of "Toji." Over roughly a decade beginning in 2014, the team visited key locations depicted in the novel to ensure the translation accurately reflected its historical and cultural context.

The foundation praised the team for bringing "Toji" — a landmark work of Korean modern literature capturing the history and spirit of the era — to Japanese readers in its entirety, calling the translation an exemplary case of private-sector cultural exchange bridging the history and culture of the two countries. The team received a citation, a commemorative medal and a cash prize of 30 million won ($19,400).

The complete Japanese translation of "Toji" has already earned wide recognition: it received the presidential prize in the international cultural exchange category at the 43rd Sejong Culture Award in 2024, and won the 79th Mainichi Publishing Culture Award in 2025.

"This translation is a meaningful cultural achievement that connects the history and sensibilities of Korea and Japan through Korean literature," foundation chairman Ha Tae-yun said. "We will continue to carry forward the late Honorary Chairman Lee Hee-geon's spirit of Korea-Japan exchange and pursue a range of initiatives to promote friendship between the two countries."