Assoc Prof Yugo Tomonaga (middle row, second from the left) at Ryukoku University in Japan with study tour attendees in Shepparton, Victoria in 2018. Source: Yugo Tomonaga
In March 2020, Mr Tomonaga was going to spend a year of research at prestigious Australian universities such as ANU. He was going to study Australian Aboriginal methods of managing forests, especially the technique using fire to mitigate the risk of serious bush fire.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Mr Tomonaga had to change his plan. The unexpected void led him to translate 'Dark Emu', an Australian book which overturns the mainstream perception of history of Australian Aboriginal people.
Among the academic circles, some researchers including an authority on Anthropology, voiced negative feedback on what the book claims. Even within the Australian Aboriginal communities, their opinions on the book are divided.
Translating such a controversial book could be a risky move for Mr Tomonoga's academic career. But the Associated Professor of Ryukoku University in Japan found the meaning in introducing the book to Japanese readers.
In the audio, Assoc Prof Tomonaga explains why he translated the book while risking his own career, and tells us about the value he found in doing so.
