Contemporary Japanese Literature


Among the writers of today’s Japan, Haruki Murakami, who is the most published Japanese author, is most popular. Dreamer and romantic in nature, in his books he overthrows modern Japanese values, such as merging with the same type of society, exaggerated importance of career growth, a sense of unity with people.

Murakami’s works tell of teenagers who are entangled in themselves and seem to be in two worlds, away from the rest of the world. Because of this, in the relationship between them constantly there are insurmountable difficulties. Often in the books of Murakami people suddenly disappear and never return. For example, in the Chronicles of Clockwork Bird, the writer’s wife suddenly leaves home forever. In other creations there are two parallel storylines, which at first sight do not overlap with each other. The books of this master of Japanese fiction are often saturated with cruelty and scenes of violence, but this does not diminish his writing talent.

In

addition to Haruka, many other Japanese writers were awarded, such as Kirina Natsuo, Yukio Misuta, Ryu Murakami, Banana Yoshimoto, Koji Suzuki, Maruyama Kenji, Yoko Tovada. Their contribution to modern Japanese literature is priceless, and the works capture the reader’s attention and can not help leaving a mark in memory.

If in the first half of the 20th century Japanese literature was dominated by naturalism, and after neo-romanticism and neosensualism, in the middle of the 20th century writers concentrated on everyday life, on the emotions and sufferings of people. Socio-political orientation, characteristic of the literature of the early 20th century, was replaced by a desire to understand the spiritual world of man, the problems of moral choice that emerged in modern society. Writers of that period wondered about the loneliness of the human soul. Nevertheless, the current literature of Japan is largely based on the artistic styles of antiquity.

Among Japanese prose writers of the 20th century, Kobo Abe deserves special attention. Throughout the world, his such creations as “Woman in

the Sands”, “Man-Box”, “Another’s Face” are known. The world in his works appears immoral, fallen and devoid of compassion for a single person.

One of Japan’s most popular genres of contemporary literature is the manga – a kind of Japanese comics that quickly spread to young people. Some refer to the manga without reverence, not counting their serious literature, and yet they have gained great popularity and many fans around the world. Magnificently drawn in a special style, the characters convey the emotions and emotions of the human mind with high accuracy. Some authors believe that the manga has a special philosophical meaning, so they are not always translated from Japanese.


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Contemporary Japanese Literature