In Volume 2 of Columbia's comprehensive anthology of modern Japanese literature, thoughtfully selected and carefully translated readings portray the vast changes that have transformed Japanese culture since the end of the Pacific War. Beginning with the Allied Occupation in 1945 and concluding with the early twenty-first century, these stories, poems, plays, and essays reflect Japan's heady transition from poverty to prosperity, its struggle with conflicting ideologies and political beliefs, and the growing influence of popular culture on the country's artistic and intellectual traditions. Organized chronologically and by genre within each period, readings include fiction by Hayashi Fumiko and Oe Kenzaburo; poems by Ayukawa Nobuo, Katsura Nobuko, and Saito Fumi; plays by Mishima Yukio and Shimizu Kunio; and a number of essays, among them Eto Jun on Natsume Soseki and his brilliant novel Kokoro (The Heart of Things), and Kawabata Yasunari on the shape of his literary career and the enduring influence of classical Japanese literature. Some authors train a keen eye on the contemporary world, while others address the historical past and its relationship to modern culture. Some adopt an even broader scope and turn to European models for inspiration, while others look inward, exploring psychological and sexual terrain in new, often daring ways. Spanning almost six decades, this anthology provides a thorough introduction to a profound period of creative activity.

Vibrant literature inspired by the cultural and political upheaval of postwar Japan.

About the Author
J. Thomas Rimer is emeritus professor of East Asian languages and literatures at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of several works, including Traditions in Modern Japanese Fiction: An Introduction and A Reader's Guide to Japanese Literature, and is the editor, with Van C. Gessel, of the first volume of The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature: From Restoration to Occupation, 1868-1945.Van C. Gessel is professor of Japanese literature at Brigham Young University. He is the author of Three Modern Novelists: Soseki, Tanizaki, Kawabata and coeditor of The Showa Anthology: Modern Japanese Short Stories.

Reviews
Columbia University's monumental collection... best bridges the gulf between the literary expert and the common reader. Japan Times The most comprehensive overview of modern Japanese literature available in translation. -- Terry Hong Bloomsbury Review Those studying Asian literature in translation will be grateful for this next volume in the fine Columbia set...Highly recommended. Choice



Book Information
ISBN 9780231138048
Author J. Thomas Rimer
Format Hardback
Page Count 864
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press