The Creation of "Ethnic Culture" through "Folklore" in Modern Japan : The Reception of Heinrich Heine by Yanagita Kunio

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24520211
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese literature
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: HAYASHI Masako 岐阜大学, 地域科学部, 教授 (30198858)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 民族文化 / 民族精神 / 森鴎外 / ドイツ思想文化 / 柳田國男 / ハインリヒ・ハイネ / 民間伝承 / 高山樗牛

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the influence of the German notion “Volksgeist” (national character), the rise of ideas of racial supremacy, and the flourishing of folklore research in Germany on the formation of notions of “kokumin bunka” (national culture) through “minzoku seishin” (racial spirit) in Japan.　Specifically, while exploring the significance of the reception of Heinrich Heine by Yanagita Kunio, who promoted the study of folklore as an academic science, it examined literary expressions about “minzoku bunka”（ethnic culture）employed by modern Japan in its search for self through an analysis of the literary works of Mori Ogai, who had a profound knowledge of German folklore.

Free Research Field

日本近代文学