In today’s ever-shrinking “global village”, intercultural communication based on mutual respect and understanding is more important than ever. The humanities foster precisely this kind of understanding of cultures other than our own. One of the most effective ways to gain deep insight into another society is through its literature, which offers an insider’s perspective on history, religion, politics, and social values. Understanding Modern Japan Through Its Literature, based on more than fifty years of research, provides such an in-depth view of one of the world’s most fascinating cultures. The volume explores how Japanese writers and intellectuals responded to the turbulent history of the past century and a half, from Western imperialism and Japan’s own imperial expansion to wartime defeat, atomic destruction, and postwar economic recovery. By examining literary responses to these dramatic transformations, the book reveals how Japanese authors struggled to construct and reconstruct national identity amid imperialism, modernization, capitalism, fascism, and globalization. In doing so, it offers an intimate and compelling portrait of Japanese experience throughout the twentieth century.



How Japanese writers responded to imperialism, war, defeat, and modernization—revealing the struggle to shape national identity in a turbulent 20th century.



Starrs’ expertise is matched by the deftness of his rhetoric and the intuitive discretion of his cultural insights. This volume will be of immense value to scholars and students working in East Asian studies, modernism studies, modern history, and other fields besides. - Professor Mark Byron, University of Sydney