著者

大久保 喬樹(1946-)

雑誌

東京女子大学紀要論集

巻号頁・発行日

vol.46, no.1, pp.65-88, 0000

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From around the 1930's, Japanese literature showed a tendency to return to tradition, paralleling the growing nationalism throughout Japanese society. This tendency can often be seen in the concept of nature, although it was expressed in many different ways, depending on the individual author. In Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country, the unification of man and nature is expressed by overlapping the heroine, Komako, with the nature of the snow country. The description of nature goes beyond modern realism and is charactereized by symbolism, with aesthetics similar to that found in Shinkokinshu. When Junichiro Tanizaki moved to the Kansai region, he recognized the influence that climate and nature have on culture and began a return to tradition. Following such works as Tadekumushi and Ashikari, dynastic kachofugetsu concept of nature is developed in his major work, Sasameyuki, which has The Tale of Genji as its basis. In Kafu Nagai's Bokutokidan, the aesthetics of the Edo ninjobon are followed, and a completely stylized nature is described. Lastly Riichi Yokomitsu's Ryoshu goes beyond modern, man-made Western civilization and pursues traditional Japanese civilization as represented by early Shintoism, which aims at a harmony between man and nature. Thus, in this period, a number of authors experimented with Japanese tradition, reviving the aesthetics of nature in the history of Japanese culture.