Reading Lafcadio: Hidden History of Modern Japan

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24520254
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese literature
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
• Principal Investigator: ASKEW Rie 立命館アジア太平洋大学, アジア太平洋学部, 講師 (10599632)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ラフカディオ・ハーン / 小泉八雲 / アイデンティティ / ナショナリズム / 文化喪失

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project "Reading Lafcadio" analysed the various Japanese receptions of the man of letters, Lafcadio Hearn, who is popularly known in Japan by his Japanese name, Koizumi Yakumo, and who has been often depicted as Japan's best foreign interpreter. This project focused on the Japanese receptions of Hearn and in particular on how Hearn's name has been mobilised in the modern Japanese discourses on nationalism and identity, and thus attempted to clarify the hidden aspect of modern Japanese history. Overall, things went as I planned. I have written three papers concerning this theme and published one from a refereed journal so far. (See "The Politics of Nostalgia in Vestiges of Japan", NZAS, 2012). I am currently working on another two for publication in refereed journals.

Free Research Field

日本文学