Development of Realism in Literature and Criticism in the Mid-Meiji Period

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24720102
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Japanese literature
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Kumamoto
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Hiroshi 熊本県立大学, 文学部, 講師 (70613173)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 坪内逍遥 / 『小説神髄』 / 「写実」理念 / 民友社 / 徳富蘇峰

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research reexamined the development of realism in the mid-Meiji period. It is asserted that Tsubouchi Shoyo’s “Shosetsu Shinzui (the Essence of Novels)” was significant in this development process; however, this research emphasizes the necessity of examining other factors to explain this phenomenon. In particular, it considers the contribution of Minyusha Society’s members (for example, Tokutomi Soho and Yamaji Aizan), Christian intellectuals, and journalists. This research thus places the above mentioned individuals in perspective and clarifies the history of literature in the mid-Meiji period.

Free Research Field

日本近代文学