Japonisme and Henry Miller: Empirically Proving the Impact of Japan on his Life and Works

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12321
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02030:English literature and literature in the English language-related
• Research Institution: The University of Kitakyushu
• Principal Investigator: Arnold Wayne E. 北九州市立大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (20740624)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Henry Miller / Life Writing / Correspondence / Interview / Archives / Letters / Japonisme / Japan-America

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The goal of this research was to determine the depth and breadth of Henry Miller’s relationship with Japan. The research process included visiting numerous archive libraries, data-mining dozens of digital databases, and conducting personal interviews. This crucial methodology was incorporated into the collected data and the results have been published in several academic articles. This research reveals that Miller was closely connected with Japan from the early 1920s, until his death in 1980. Miller interacted with numerous Japanese artists and married Hoki Tokuda in 1967.

Free Research Field

20th Century American Literature

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

この研究の目的は、ヘンリー・ミラーが日本への関心から大きな影響を受けた芸術家であるはずだということを実証することであった。「ジャポニスム」という広い概念は、日本の芸術や文化が西洋に与えた様々な影響を実証的に研究することを奨励するものである。ミラーは間違いなく、日本の話題やテーマを文学や水彩画に取り入れた芸術家であった。今回の研究成果は、日米の文化交流に関する大きな議論の中に、ヘンリー・ミラーを取り入れるための明確な出発点となるものである。