About Liu Wan-lai
Lived 1929 – 2016 (aged 86–87). Liu Wan-lai was a Taiwanese translator.
Liu Wan-lai (; born 1929, died 17 February 2016) was a Japanese–Chinese translator active in Taiwan during the martial law period (1949–1987). He translated genre literature, hobby literature (particularly on trains and trams), and manga series including Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato. The popularity of his translations led to him being described as "a legend" and "a literary demigod".
Liu studied at Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Vocational High School. He translated, and taught Japanese, alongside a day job as an elementary school teacher in Dalin, Chiayi. Many of his translations were commissioned by the Dashan Bookstore in Tainan. In 2015 he published an autobiography.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Liu Wan-lai's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Liu Wan-lai?
Taiwanese educator and translator
When was Liu Wan-lai born?
Liu Wan-lai was born in 1929 in Taichū Prefecture.
When did Liu Wan-lai die?
Liu Wan-lai died on 17 February 2016.
What was Liu Wan-lai's occupation?
Liu Wan-lai was a translator.
What nationality was Liu Wan-lai?
Liu Wan-lai was Taiwanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Liu Wan-lai. https://biography.guide/liu-wan-lai/
MLA: "Liu Wan-lai." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/liu-wan-lai/.
Chicago: "Liu Wan-lai." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/liu-wan-lai/.
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