Research Highlights

I am researching modern Japanese literature from the viewpoint of gender and sexuality. I have always been interested in marginalized writers who society does not consider authors in their own right. In particular, I am interested in the ways in which these writers accept their state of social inequality through a system of positive acknowledgment that treats writing as a kind of self-realization.

For example, it was formerly said that women were well suited to literature. Even so, it was difficult for women to turn their writing into a career despite academic progress and diligent work. We could call this a genuine example of a glass ceiling. A duplicitous image of literature—seen more as an elegant hobby than as a profession—was exploited in shaping this situation. I first became aware of such issues during my time as a student at the Faculty of Letters, a time that was both enjoyable yet full of doubts for me. While I believe that every literary work is its own courageous attempt to change the norms of society, that perspective alone is not enough. Today it is important to be aware of how people’s impressions of literature encourage social oppression, especially when dealing with literature from the past.

What kind of criticism did writers like Toshiko Tamura and Fumiko Hayashi endure by earning more money than their husbands? And how did they adjust their style to survive as writers? When Osamu Dazai would revise sentences written by women and pass them off as his own, what part of those female writers was denied in the name of sublimating his most attractive female characters? Why did Yasunari Kawabata’s writing instruction, despite his praise of women, not produce a single female author? These examples are complex because they stem from love, not from control, which is not limited to the femininity or heterosexuality in the examples above.

When works from the past are ascribed literary value, these structures also become apparent in the process. And while it may be surprising, reexamining the past and uncovering forgotten writers is what sheds light on our current circumstances. I believe that literary research is a unique act where objectification, at the same time, can lead to social engagement.