István JanóView profile
Assistant Professor
István Janó is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Japanology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Károli Gáspár Reformed University in Budapest, Hungary. With a distinguished career spanning over four decades, he has established himself as a leading scholar in Japanese studies, comparative literature, and cross-cultural research between Japan and the West. His academic journey began at József Attila University where he earned his MA in English and German literature and linguistics in 1978, followed by his doctoral degree in comparative literature in 1980. His educational background includes: MA in English and German literature and linguistics (1978) from József Attila University PhD in Comparative Literature (1980) from József Attila University with dissertation on 'Far Eastern influences in the poetry of imagism' Continuing doctoral studies at the Doctoral School of Literary Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2008-) Additional studies at Eötvös Loránd University, Humboldt University in Berlin, and Osaka University of Foreign Languages Janó's research focuses on the intricate connections between Japanese and Western literary traditions, with particular expertise in classical and modern Japanese prose, Japanese literary theory, classical Japanese grammar, and linguistic problems. His scholarly work reveals a deep engagement with how Japanese poetic forms like haiku influenced Western literary movements such as Imagism and Vorticism, particularly through the works of Ezra Pound and Amy Lowell. He has made significant contributions to understanding the cultural dialogue between Japan and Hungary, as evidenced by his involvement in the Japanese-Hungarian Dictionary project since 2000. An analysis of his publications spanning from 1980 to 2022 shows a consistent scholarly trajectory exploring Japanese-Western literary connections, with recent works delving deeper into Vorticism's Eastern roots and the synthesis of Japanese haiku with French symbolism. His research demonstrates remarkable continuity in examining how Japanese aesthetics have shaped and been shaped by Western literary traditions. Throughout his career, Janó has been actively involved in academic service, including serving as an examiner for Japanese language exams at ELTE from 1992-2000, revising significant Japanese language learning materials like 'Kanji and Kana' (1995), and developing university textbooks on basic Japanese (1997). His international research fellowships at Osaka University of Foreign Languages (1990-1991) and Yokohama University (1995) under Japanese government sponsorship highlight his recognition in the field. Janó maintains active participation in the Hungarian Association of Japanese Language Teachers and has presented extensively at academic conferences, including notable appearances at the Károli Gáspár Reformed University's Literary Studies Conferences and the 20th anniversary celebration of the Japanology department in 2014. His work continues to bridge Japanese and Hungarian academic communities through translation, lexicography, and scholarly research.