The Internationalization of Surrealism: how exoticism was removed from Japanese Surrealism

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00504
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02040:European literature-related
• Research Institution: Sophia University
• Principal Investigator: Nagai Atsuko 上智大学, 文学部, 教授 (50217949)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: モダニズム / シュルレアリスム / 近現代詩 / 第二次世界大戦 / 詩論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

One aim of the following research was to analyze the poetry and poetics of Japanese poets influenced by Surrealism from the late 1920s to the early 1940s, and place them in the history of modern Japanese poetry. To do this the author examined the characteristics of the reception of Surrealism by Japanese artists and poets, especially their emphasis on theory; the plurality of their reference sources; the non-centralized form of their output; and the independent and fluid attitudes that encouraged Japanese artists and poets to break away from the stereotypical image of Japan in western arts.
The second aim of this research was to introduce some examples of Japanese surrealist art and literary works from this period, and present french analysis of these works through magazine special issues, the publication of poetry translation anthologies, and lectures; thus demonstrating the diversity and modernity of this body of work.

Free Research Field

20世紀フランス文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の意義は下の二点に集約できる。一点目はシュルレアリスムの第二次世界大戦前の受容の例としては西脇順三郎、瀧口修造、北園克衛、左川ちからの作品に関心が集中しがちななかで、他にも多様かつ文学史的・美学的価値の高い作品があることを実証的に示し、特に春山行夫や上田敏雄の詩と詩論の重要性を示したこと。
第二点目は、同時期の日本のモダニズム詩の紹介がこの40年余り停滞しているなか、日仏の専門家の協力も得つつ同時期のシュルレアリスム的な詩や美術を紹介する雑誌の特集号を編纂、さらに翻訳アンソロジーの出版や講演会開催によって詩作品の紹介と分析をフランス語で紹介し、国際的な文化理解の一端を担ったこと。