Takako Arai, born in 1966 in Kiryū, Japan, grew up in Gunma Prefecture, which was known for its textile production. Her family owned a weaving mill there. The lives of working women who were affected by globalization and economic decline are the main theme of her poems. They were translated into German for the first time for the 24th poesiefestival berlin. A selection of poems have been translated into American English by Jeffrey Angles and Sawako Nakayasu, among others: “Soul Dance” (Mi’Te Press 2008) and “Factory Girls” (Action Books 2019).