The Nationalism of Sensibility from the Viewpoint of Meiji Art and Literature:Sublime Land and Picturesque Landscape

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K18467
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 2:Literature, linguistics, and related fields
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: Morimoto Takako 静岡大学, 人文社会科学部, 准教授 (50220083)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ピクチャレスク / 島崎藤村 / 国木田独歩 / 柳田国男 / 田山花袋 / サブライム / ウィリアム・ワーズワス / ジョン・ラスキン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I examined the literary genre of "travel and journey" in the 30s of Meiji period, focusing on elucidating the concept of the "picturesque homeland," which underpins the idea of the "sublime nation." The results significantly deviated from my initial expectations. Starting with Knnikida Doppo’s concept of the "common folk" (“Sho-min”) and concluding with Yanagita Kunio’s study of the "mountain people" (“San-jin”), a series of analyses revealed a different picture. These works highlight the emergence of the "people" as an absolute "other," disrupting and breaking through the picturesque scenery.
In my primary analysis, focusing on "Broken Commandment” (“Hakai”) by Shimazaki Tohson," which depicts the "Eta" (an outcast group), I discussed the structure wherein the choice of "exile" from society, mediated by the "contemplation" brought by the re-acceptance of Wordsworth through Ruskin, signifies a break from the political dynamics of the "sublime/picturesque."

Free Research Field

日本近代文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

明治30年代文学が描く＜自然＞は、古くは明治40年代に隆盛を迎える自然主義文学の前駆とみなされ、また最近の研究成果は、これをオリエンタルな植民地主義を参照枠とした＜中央＞に対する＜周縁＞として位置づけている。これに対して、本研究が導き出した、ピクチャレスク美学に拮抗するような「民」の像は、植民地主義的眼差しに回収される寸前のところで独自の立ち位置を主張するものとして、一定の意義を持つだろう。柳田の「山人-常民」、「自由民権」の「民」と相俟って、これらの民衆像が内包する＜ナショナル/反ナショナル＞の自己矛盾的な両義性の解明は、ナショナリズム研究の一助となるはずである。