Gümülcine poet Hasan Ahmet’s works translated into Japanese

Fukuda, a specialist in Modern Greek language and literature at Shujitsu University in Japan, met with art and literature enthusiasts in Gümülcine (Komotini) during a cultural event focused on literature and the work of the Western Thrace poet.

The event also featured Ahmet’s literary work, including selected poems from his two 2008 poetry books published in Turkish and Greek under the title Ömür Boyu Muhalefet (“Opposition for a Lifetime”).

Japanese academic studies Hasan Ahmet’s poetry
Fukuda selected poems from Ahmet’s Turkish- and Greek-language works and translated them into Japanese. He also conducted a comparative examination of the poems written in the two languages.

According to Fukuda’s assessment presented at the event, the Turkish and Greek poems differ in their dominant themes.

The Greek-language poems place greater emphasis on everyday life in Gümülcine (Komotini) and the poet’s relationships with people living in the city, while the Turkish-language poems more prominently explore ideas concerning the future and the development of coexistence, Fukuda said.

The comparison highlights how the poet’s use of two languages is reflected in different thematic emphases across his work.

Hasan Ahmet thanks Fukuda through poetry
Ahmet welcomed Fukuda at the event by reciting his Turkish poem Çok Şükür (“Thank God”).

In the poem, Ahmet expressed his happiness at seeing his works translated into Japanese and thanked the Japanese academic for his interest in his poetry.

The event also highlighted Fukuda’s recent academic interest in literary works produced by the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace.

According to information shared during the event, Fukuda has increased his research focus on the minority’s literature, particularly since 2026.