Culture-specific items in Japanese-English literary translation: comparing two translations of Kawabata's 'Izu no Odoriko' TobiasShani 2017 Cultural considerations influence many aspects of the translation decision-making process. When translating literature, the translator frequently is faced with culture-bound items such as physical articles, customs and expressions which must somehow be conveyed to the target audience in their own language. What strategies do translators use in dealing with culture-specific items, and how successful are these strategies in promoting cross-cultural understanding? This paper examines these questions with regard to English translation of Japanese literature, comparing two translations of Yasunari Kawabata's short story 'Izu no Odoriko' as a case study.