Poetry at AMOCA: Japanese Translation with Naoko Fujimoto

American Museum of Ceramic Art
Pomona, California
July 26, 2026

Join us at the museum for an afternoon of poetry with translator Naoko Fujimoto! Her latest book of Women: 20 Japanese Female Poets / 20 Waka Poems is a collection of translations of Japanese waka-poems from the 7th century to the 12th century, featuring 20 female poets from this period, when Japanese women’s literature flourished. This book includes poems by famous writers from the era, such as Sei Shonagon (The Pillow Book) and Murasaki Shikibu (The Tale of Genji), and introduces some lesser-known female poets as well.

Waka compacts much information in a short form: words with double meanings, unfamiliar phrases, habits foreign to non-Japanese speakers, and hidden historical backgrounds. Direct translations would fail to capture the author’s full intent, so of Women takes several approaches to capture the original sensory images, including text collage and haibun, short essays that provide historical context and introduce the author before each waka.

Fujimoto will begin the afternoon with a translation workshop at 2 p.m., guiding participants in creating their own English translations of a short waka poem. No prior experience or knowledge of Japanese is necessary—just bring your curiosity.

At 3 p.m., join us in the gallery for a poetry reading. With Tōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics as her backdrop, Fujimoto will read from her recent publications.

Pre-registration for the translation workshop is required; walk-ups are welcome for the 3 p.m. poetry reading.