Cathy Hirano may be best-known worldwide for her translations of Japan’s decluttering guru Marie Kondo, but she is a significant player in children’s literature too, having translated ten young adult novels, more than any other Japanese translator. Her translations of The Friends and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit won the Mildred L. Batchelder Award in 1997 and 2009, respectively, while Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness and The Beast Player earned the Batchelder Honor Award in 2010 and 2020, respectively. These awards paved the way for Moribito and The Beast Player author Nahoko Uehashi to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2014. [dj]