Persian literati honored in Tokyo

TEHRAN,Oct.1(MNA) -- Japanese and Iranian Persian literature scholars Emiko Okada and Farah Mosta’an were honored for their great efforts in promoting Persian literature in Japan during a ceremony held at Iran’s embassy in Tokyo on Saturday. The ceremony was held on the occasion of Rumi National Day (September 30), in which a group of Iranologists and Persian scholars of different Japanese research centers took part. In a brief speech delivered at the ceremony, Iran’s ambassador in Tokyo Reza Nazar-Ahari said that the major duty of researchers of both countries is to develop bilateral relations. Professor Okada has translated the last 100 couplets of Khayyam’s poetry from the original Persian into Japanese. She has also conducted research on Ferdowsi and has translated his masterpiece the Shahnameh into Japanese too. In addition, Okada has translated the book “Yusof-o-Zuleikha” written by the 15th century Persian poet Jami from Persian into Japanese for the first time. The book tells the story of Prophet Joseph (AS) and Potiphar’s wife based on the Holy Quran. Mosta’an teaches Persian language at Daito Bunka University in Tokyo and has recently published a book on how to learn Persian for those interested in Persian literature and language.