Japanese modern literature

Author: Wang Zhiying, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Japanese Modern Literature is a textbook designed for advanced Japanese major students in higher education institutions. This teaching material possesses the following characteristics:
1. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan's economy underwent a remarkable transformation. Driven by economic development and influenced by the West, culture and literature emerged as entirely new phenomena, distinct from the play literature of the Edo period. This book presents a departure from the Edo-style influence, showcasing modernist novels: Mori Ogai's Gikaku (Clouds) was published in 1889, and thereafter, Japanese literary circles flourished like a garden in spring, with a myriad of schools and movements rising to prominence, each leaving its mark and creating a vibrant tapestry of literary styles. This book begins with Gikaku and selects representative writers and masterpieces from various schools, supplemented by brief introductions to the authors' lives and creative processes. It aims to capture the essence of Japanese modern literature on paper and is dedicated to domestic literary researchers and students.
2. In addition to categorizing and introducing writers and their works, this book provides detailed interpretations of the positions and characteristics of representative figures from each school in the history of Japanese modern literature. Furthermore, at the beginning of the book, an overview of modern Japanese literature is presented to give learners a fundamental understanding of the field from the outset.
3. Most of the novels selected for this book were written in the early 20th century, and many of the terms from that era are unfamiliar even to contemporary Japanese readers, let alone us. Therefore, we have explained certain fixed expressions and vocabulary in the context of the time. Currently, there are numerous works on Japan available domestically, but books that systematically organize, summarize, and provide brief introductions to Japanese modern literature are scarce. In fact, they are as rare as phoenix feathers and dragon scales. Thus, we have arranged the schools in chronological order, forming a comprehensive system and providing detailed introductions to the authors and their key works. We hope this book will serve as a reference for Japanese literary researchers. If there are any shortcomings, we kindly request your corrections.