Troll i ord - Japanese Translation Competition
Join a competition for the best translation from Japanese to Nordic languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish or Icelandic), and win great prizes!
Main content
Are you currently studying or have you studied Japanese? Are you interested in Japanese literature?
Then you are welcome to participate in this translation competition at the Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen.
A classic Japanese masterpiece, «Arashi no yoru ni», is to be translated into Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish or Icelandic.
"Arashi no yoru ni", written by Yuichi Kimura, is a classic that celebrates its 30th anniversary since publication. The story features a goat and a wolf who meet on a pitch-dark, stormy night. Unable to see each other in the darkness, they form a heartfelt connection through their conversations, making it a touching and engaging tale. The story has also been adapted into a film and a stage play.
Task
Here is the text you should translate. The response can be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finish or Icelandic.
Submission
Submission deadline: 20 September 2025. Please submit your document via this scheme.
Guidelines
- The competition is open to current and former Japanese students at universities or high schools in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.
- Professional translators and individuals with Japanese as their native language cannot participate in the competition.
- Participation is limited to one entry per participant. The entry will be submitted to the Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish or Icelandic section.
- The translator's name should not be visible in the submitted translation.
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to the top 15 translations, three to Norwegian students, three to Swedish students, three to Finnish students, three to Danish students and three to Icelandic students. The 15 winners will receive a gift card worth approximately 1000 NOK at a bookstore. The winners will also receive feedback from the professional translators on the text they have submitted.
Former winners
2023/2024
Norwegian
- Jarand Holand (University of Oslo)
- Erik Hauger (University of Bergen)
Swedish
- Oscar Callenberg (University of Gothenburg)
- Usman Kashif (KTH)
Finnish
- Milka Lippo (University of Helsinki)
- Kosti Vanninen (University of Helsinki)
- Veera Haavisto (University of Helsinki)
Danish
- Sofie Lambertsen (Aarhus University)
- Hugo Alrøe (Aarhus University)
- Sigrid Tørning Svendsen (University of Copenhagen)
2022
Norwegian
- Ellen Haugan (Universitetet i Oslo)
- Egil Ytterli Tokle (NTNU)
- Kristine Gunstvedt (Universitetet i Oslo)
Swedish
- Madeleine Olausson (Högskolan Dalarna)
- Arina Mescheryakova (Stockholm universitet)
- Tove Bjerg (Högskolan Dalarna)
Finnish
Samppa Luoma-Halkola (Högskolan Dalarna)
Eetu-Antti Hartikainen (Universitetet i Helsinki)
- Kosti Vanninen (Universitetet i Helsinki)
2021
Norwegian
Kjersti Løfsgaard (Universitetet i Oslo)
- Ellen Haugan (Universitetet i Oslo)
- Sivert Dagenborg (NTNU)
Swedish
Elin Karhunen (Högskolan Dalarna)
- Hedvig Berndes (Göteborgs Universitet)
- Madeleine Olausson (Högskolan Dalarna)
2019
Manga
- Joel Fredriksson (Lunds Universitet)
- Lena Källsten (Högskolan Dalarna)
Picture book
- Hannes Lindgren (Göteborgs Universitet)
- Joel Fredriksson (Lunds Universitet)
- Björn Lóránt (Göteborgs Universitet)
2018
Manga
- Emilia Andersson (Göteborgs Universitet)
- Matilda Fahlström (Göteborgs Universitet)
- Axel Bergman Engman (Lunds Universitet)
Picture book
- Lena Källsten (Högskolan Dalarna)
- Markus Nurmimäki (Göteborgs Universitet)
- Björn Lóránt (Göteborgs Universitet)
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
Jury
Professors at the University of Bergen, Dalarna University, the University of Helsinki, Aarhus University and the University of Iceland along with professional translators Magne Tørring (Norwegian), Lars Vargö (Swedish), Antti Valkama (Finnish), Mette Holm (Danish) and Shohei Akakura (Icelandic).
