Shibata Renzabur and the Reinvention of Modernism in Postwar Japanese Popular Literature

Shibata Renzabur and the Reinvention of Modernism in Postwar Japanese Popular Literature explores the life and work of Shibata Renzabur (, 19171978), the author of adventure and historical novels who was instrumental in reinvigorating popular Japanese literature in the postwar period. This book considers postwar Japanese society through the prism of Shibata's writing, exploring how the postwar period under SCAP Occupation influenced Shibata's writing and generated the extraordinary popularity of samurai fiction in the postwar era at large. Through the use of a nihilistic warrior, Nemuri Kyshir, and other samurai characters, Shibata Renzabur addresses important social issues of the day, such as the trauma of defeat, postwar reconstruction, and the attending societal ills and neuroses, while keeping his literature entertaining and easy to read, which ensured its mass appeal in postwar Japan.

Explores the life and work of Shibata Renzabur Investigates the postwar shift in Japanese popular culture Considers the significance of samurai fiction in the postwar era

Autorentext

Artem Vorobiev is Lecturer in Japanese at the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at The Ohio State University, USA.

Klappentext

Shibata Renzabur and the Reinvention of Modernism in Postwar Japanese Popular Literature explores the life and work of Shibata Renzabur ( , 1917 1978), the author of adventure and historical novels who was instrumental in reinvigorating popular Japanese literature in the postwar period. This book considers postwar Japanese society through the prism of Shibatäs writing, exploring how the postwar period under SCAP Occupation influenced Shibatäs writing and generated the extraordinary popularity of samurai fiction in the postwar era at large. Through the use of a nihilistic warrior, Nemuri Ky shir , and other samurai characters, Shibata Renzabur addresses important social issues of the day, such as the trauma of defeat, postwar reconstruction, and the attending societal ills and neuroses, while keeping his literature entertaining and easy to read, which ensured its mass appeal in postwar Japan.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Early Life and and Formative Years.- 3. War and Postwar Experience.- 4. Fame: The Nemuri Kyshir Phenomenon.- 5. Shibata Renzabur's Other Works.- 6. Conclusion.