Refining Nature in Modern Japanese Literature

The Life and Art of Shiga Naoya

By (author) Nanyan Guo

Publication date:

23 January 2014

Length of book:

220 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739181027

This book examines the literature of Shiga Naoya, who is highly regarded in modern Japan for his unique style and methods of describing his personal experiences and emotions. Contributing new findings to the field of scholarship on Shiga, this study focuses in particular on Shiga’s nature-inspired writings and discusses how he created some vivid images of nature that became famous and still linger in Japanese people’s minds. Shiga’s remarkable sensitivity toward nature and the influences he received from earlier writers in Japan and abroad is examined. The complexity and depth of his understanding of nature is further revealed in his fascination with the supernatural, which also contributed to the creation of his literary style.

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Nurturing of Shiga’s Feelings for Nature
Chapter 2: The Moon: Early Encounters with Nature
Chapter 3: The Sun: In Pursuit of a Religiosity of Art
Chapter 4: Nature Destroyed: The Ashio Copper Mine PollutionIncident
Chapter 5: Plants: The Essence of Nature
Chapter 6: Living Creatures: Mirrors of Human Nature
Chapter 7: The Supernatural and Nature
Chapter 8: Dreams: Nature Internalized
Chapter 9: Lafcadio Hearn’s Influence on Shiga’s Literary Style
Conclusion: Nature-Inspired Art and Artistic Nature
Appendix 1: Chronology of Shiga Naoya’s Life and Art
Appendix 2: Map with Important Places in Shiga’s Literature

Guo's study will remain a crucial contribution to such reception as exists by its focus on Shiga's deep love of nature.