Study on the collection of unpublished works of Arechi (Waste Land) poetry group and the elucidation of their historical significance

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K12923
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02010:Japanese literature-related
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: YAMASHITA Kobun 日本大学, 芸術学部, 助教 (50886372)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 荒地派 / 中桐雅夫 / 菅谷規矩雄 / 飯島宗享 / 鈴木喜緑 / 未発表資料 / 実存主義 / 戦後文学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I organized some graduates and students of the College of Art at Nihon University for the purpose of elucidating the poetries and thoughts of Arechi (Waste Land) poetry group, to form ‘Association for Studying Existential Literature’. We have researched the lives and works of Masao NAKAGIRI, Kikuo SUGAYA, Kiroku SUZUKI, Munetaka IHJIMA, and others, discovered unpublished works, and reprinted them. We have also written articles and works that make itself importance and significance in the poetry history.
These were compiled into "Existential Literature" and "Existential Literature II" (supervised by Kobun YAMASHITA, 2022-2023, Michitani,). Volume I was 776 bulky pages and Volume II was 768 bulky pages. I have also written a number of articles on postwar poetry, I would say that the historical significance of Arechi (Waste Land) has been made clear at last.
As being described above, this study has shed light on new aspects of Japanese literary history and contributed to its advancement.

Free Research Field

戦後詩

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、戦後詩の未発表資料を翻刻・研究することで、戦後文学・哲学の未知の側面を照らし出した。飯島宗享がひそかに書き継いだ小説も、鈴木喜緑の晩年も、菅谷規矩雄が上演を熱望した劇も、中桐雅夫の戦時の動向も、本研究をとおして初めて明らかになった。
戦後文学の貴重な資料を散逸する前にまとめたこと、それを考究する論考・創作を学生とともに執筆したこと、それらを書籍として歴史に刻印したことは、学術的意義を有するのみならず、社会的意義をも広く主張しうると確信する。焼け跡からすべてを始めようとした荒地派の営為は、確実性なき時代を生きる私たちに、深い暗示を与えている。そのことを、本研究は証明したのである。