Study of Newspaper Novels Immediately after the Second World War : Focus on Oda Sakunosuke

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26770078
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Japanese literature
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: SAITO Masao 大阪大学, 文学研究科, 准教授 (40431720)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 新聞小説 / 新興紙 / 地方新聞 / 織田作之助

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, I investigated the actual contents of newspaper novels published immediately after the end of the Second World War. What are the distinctive features of these serialized works, devised to satisfy the expectations of newspaper subscribers in an era in which clothing, shelter and employment were all scarce? I mainly focused on Oda Sakunosuke, who wrote four serial novels from 1945 to 1946. These were published in local Kyoto and Osaka newspapers such as the "Kyoto Daily Newspaper" and "Osaka Daily Newspaper." Oda actively utilized articles and advertisements in these same newspapers, incorporating them into his works. This resulted in the creation of works which transcended the confines of the newspaper’s literary section and provided a multifaceted entertainment experience to readers of that era. This study sheds light on such attempts by Oda to challenge the conventions of the newspaper novel as a literary form.

Free Research Field

3101