This paper discusses the possibilities and diffi culties of novels surviving translation by looking at translations of two of Kazuo Ishiguro’s early works into Japanese. Kazuo Ishiguro, an English writer who is conscious that his novels are going to be translated into many languages, tries to write novels that are internationally relevant, by avoiding expressions peculiar to English language or locality. However, despite his efforts to survive translation, paradoxically, his two early works set in Japan, which might be expected to have fewer difficulties in translating into Japanese because of the familiar setting, have some challenges in translation specific to the situation. I will highlight the issue of the domestication of culturally bound words, and then focus on the translation diffi culties that occur as a result of the difference of personal pronouns and speech presentations between English and Japanese. This paper discusses the possibilities and diffi culties of novels surviving translation by looking at translations of two of Kazuo Ishiguro’s early works into Japanese. Kazuo Ishiguro, an English writer who is conscious that his novels are going to be translated into many languages, tries to write novels that are relevant relevant, by avoiding expressions peculiar to English language or locality. However, despite his efforts to save translation, paradoxically, his two early works set in Japan, which might be expected to have fewer difficulties in translating into Japanese because of the familiarize, set some challenges in translation specific to the situation. I will highlight the issue of the domestication of culturally bound words, and then focus on the translation diffi culties that occur as a result of the difference of personal pronouns and speech presentations between English and Japanese.