Shibata RenzaburM and the Reinvention of Modernism in Postwar Japanese Popular Literature [Hardcover]

Shibata RenzaburM and the Reinvention of Modernism in Postwar Japanese Popular Literature explores the life and work of Shibata RenzaburM (?0,?, 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 Shibatas writing, exploring how the postwar period under SCAP Occupation influenced Shibatas writing and generated the extraordinary popularity of samurai fiction in the postwar era at large. Through the use of a nihilistic warrior, Nemuri KyMshirM, and other samurai characters, Shibata RenzaburM 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.

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

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

Shibata RenzaburM and the Reinvention of Modernism in Postwar Japanese Popular Literature explores the life and work of Shibata RenzaburM (?0,?, 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 Shibatas writing, exploring how the postwar period under SCAP Occupation influenced Shibatas writing and generated the extraordinary popularity of samurai fiction in the postwar era at large. Through the use of a nihilistic warrior, Nemuri KyMshirM, and other sl#%