Japan is to honour one of the most respected Irish writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries by issuing a postage stamp dedicated to the memory of Lafcadio Hearn.
This postage stamp issued by Japan Post, worth 80 yen (about 60 cent), will be launched at a ceremony on November 4th in Tokyo, hosted by members of the Japan-Ireland Lafcadio Hearn Association.
Hearn, who worked and lived in Japan in the 15 years before his death, wrote extensively about life in Japan. He was one of the first westerners to write about what went on in what had been up to that point a land shrouded in mystery.
The writer, whose works have been revered since his death in September 1904, will also be honoured in a series of events over the coming months.
Over the next few weeks, the Irish Embassy in Tokyo, and a number of other venues associated with Hearn, will contribute to a series of events marking the centenary of Hearn's work in Japan.
A symposium series "International Perspectives on Hearn" will take place at venues in Japan between September 25th and October 1st. From October 17th-24th, Toyama University will host an exhibition, and Hearn's great grandson, Bon Koizumi, will give a lecture.