Tuesday 15 June 2010

The Setting Sun - Osamu Dazai


The Setting Sun is set in the aftermath of World War Two, in Japan. Kazuko is a member of an aristocratic family that has been severely impoverished by the defeat to the Americans. She and her mother lead an uneventful and solitary existence, as she puts it, of drinking tea, preparing meals and reading in the mountains. Her brother has been missing since the war having been sent to the South Pacific and although her mother has given up hope, Kazuko herself refuses to admit that they will never be reunited.

In fact, they are reunited, and for a brief time, life has returned to normal. The mother is incredibly happy. But it soon becomes clear that Naoji, the brother is dependent of drugs and alcohol. This seems to be a result of the experience of war, but even Naoji himself, claims it started before, during his university years.

Kazuko and Naoji's mother falls ill, and eventually dies, leaving the two siblings alone together. Things go from bad to worse. Naoji had always claimed that a title does not mean refinement and believes his actions are those of someone is better off dead. Accordingly, he takes his own life.

Kazuko, who has become involved with a mediocre writer and conceives a child. It is with this child that Kazuko hopes to give a renewal to her life.

The characters and story of "The Setting Sun" tell the story of the post war era in Japan. Of course it is tragic and sombre. This is not the book to cheer oneself up. However, it is certainly an interesting read. The events echo what may have happened to aristocratic families following the war. Metaphorically, one family serves well for the full scope of Japanese culture. This former empire has been literarly crushed, its culture exposed and humiliated, left to search for some kind of justification for existence. It seems apt that Kazuko's own personal renewal and redemption begins with the conception of her child as it is the case that a defeated nation is paralysed to wait for a new generation. Only through the actions of children can justification be granted to the values that define their lives.

Friday 11 June 2010

Snakes & Earrings - Hitomi Kanehara

Snakes & Earrings (蛇にピアス hebi ni piasu) was published in 2003 and received the Akutagawa Prize. It had a good reception with the reading public, selling over one million copies, and was made into a film.

The story is centured on the 19 year old Lui. She begins a relationship of Ama, who has a forked tongue. He encourages her curiousity in body modification, and pursuades her to have her tongue pierced. She meets Ama's friend, Shiba, who is a tattoo artist and body-piercer. After having her tongue pierced, Lui returns to Shiba and asks for a tattoo. Shiba's price is sex. From then on, the story revolves around the love triangle, and Lui's growing dependence on alchohol.

Snakes & Earrings shines a light into the dark undercultures that are secretly thriving in modern Japan. It is not a complicated story and easy to follow. The thoughts of Lui are vivid, as she slowly evolves as a character to her own point of no return. Well worth reading if you want to see a darker, more psychotic side of Japan.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

The Woman in the Dunes - Kobo Abe

The Woman in the Dunes (沙の女 suna no onna) is an existential novel as it deals with a man's ability to give value to his life and the world he finds himself. The man, a teacher from a big city is on holiday, insect collecting. However, when he misses the last bus home, he must spend one night in a desert village. He descends into a sand pit where a woman in a decrepit hut waits to attend him. The following morning it becomes increasingly clear to him that he has become a prisoner. With no ladder there is no clear means of exit.

Initially, he simply cannot understand; he sees his situation as some mistake. Growing more angry, he claims that he will be missed, that people from the city will come looking for him, insinuating he is the victim of some terrible crime. Finally, he attempts to climb out of the sand hole, but to no avail; he is completely trapped by nothing more than tiny particles of sand.

The man is made to work. He must shift the sand, so as to protect the hut. He deems this job's only use is to maintain his own prison, and says it would better to let the house be eaten by the desert. To start with he refuses, but as a result he is denied fresh water, food, alchohol and cigarettes. He tries to reason with his captors, to explain that everything is unnecessery, that he knows better ways, but they are not interested. At the point of dehydration he realises he has no choice.

The story acts primarily to illustrate that modernity is a collective thing. People can go about their lives in collaboration with others. When the man is denied the collaboration he enters a more primevil state of living. In the man's case, it is dig or die. The story captures the essence of the individual in the modern world because although we have our individuality, it exists only by consequence of interactions with other people. We do not live truly individual existences because we rely on others, and consequently we do not find ourselves in such a black and white, do or die situation.

In the end, the man becomes acquiesed to his situation, and tries to better his existence within the boundaries of the sand. This is a colourful way of expressing how we as individuals must sacrafice our individuality in order to preserve our lives. We must dig even though we would rather not.

His keepers, most obviously the woman herself, represent society as a whole. The man cannot shirk his responsibilities to society and simply do as he pleases; there is work to be done. The woman's has totally accepted her fate and position in the world. It is she who understands that in the reality of the world she has certain functions she must carry out in order to survive. She acts as attendant, partner and lover to the man. The man futily attempts to show his strength and power to his captors when he tries to forcefully have sex with her. She resists however, showing that the man cannot simply will this to occur, he must co-operate. Thw woman tells the man that she has lost her family to the sand, illustrating the dangers that exist in a world of obligation.

"The Woman in the Dunes" is a classic piece of existential literature that stands alongside the work of the original existentialists, such as Sartre. It is a powerful example of the workings of the modern world we live.

The Makioka Sisters - Junichiro Tanizaki

This is the story of four sisters living in Japan during the years just prior to World War Two. The Makioka family belongs to the upper-class of Osaka society, but recently it has seen a decline in power and wealth. The story is mainly concerned with the family's attempt to marry the third of the sisters, Yukiko. Having already passed the suitable age to marry, the urgency to find a suitor becomes increasingly important. Yukiko has all the aspects of a traditional Japanese woman, loyalty, meekness and respectability. However, despite these characteristics she rejects a long list of potential suitors. Her younger sister is already involved with a man but must abide by the social norms, and wait for Yukiko to be wed before proceeding herself. Taeko, sometimes known as Koi-san by her sisters, represents everything that is not traditional Japan. From her western style clothing to her promiscuousness and overall attitude, Taeko clashes with tradition.

The traditional sensitivities that one would normally associate with classic Japan are all on display. Cherry blossom viewing, dance and piano, and traditional doll making are all undertaken by the sisters. Aside Taeko, they are almost always clad in kimonos. The relationship between the sisters, their respective role and function also point to the workings of a culture soon to be lost to the harsh awakening modernity will bring. Only Taeko, who is even banished from the family at one point, shows any degree of the evolution that must happen. She has various romantic interests and proves herself untrustworthy; she aspires to succeed in her own business, independently of the family if necessery.


Yukiko & Taeko from the 1950 film by Yukata Abe

With this backdrop, Tanizaki excels in portraying Japan during a period in its history defined by change. The family's eminence and decline, as well as the character of Yukiko and the family could represent Japan's desire to hang on to its cultural heritage. Contrastingly, Taeko's freedom, so unusual for pre-war Japan, and her rebellious striek provide an excellent metaphor of Japan waving in its future. The war is looming in the background to suggest the approach of some irreversible change in Japanese culture. This is a highly enjoyable story, and is often considered Tanizaki's masterpiece. It is long, but the character development is rich and contrasting, and that is partly what makes it such a superb novel.

Runaway Horses - Yukio Mishima

"Runaway Horses" (奔馬 - honda) by Yukio Mishima, is the second part of his opus magnus "The Sea of Fertility".

The story is set 19 years since the events of "Spring Snow". Honda, now a judge, is requested to oversee a Kendo match and Shinto ritual in place of his superior, who has another engagement. It is at this Kendo match Honda is reunited with Iinuma, the former tutor of the late Kiyoaki who was Honda's best friend. He also meets Iinuma's son, Isao, who partakes in the Kendo match.

The story follows a patriotic plot against Japan's emerging economic elite. The plot is masterminded by Isao, who has found inspiration from a book he has read, describing the events of of an uprising aimed at those intent on westernising Japan in the early years of the Meiji era.


From this point on, Isao is devoted to meeting a glorious end, in which he would commit seppuku, ritual suicide. In a letter, Honda, who believes that Isao is Kioyoki reincarnate, warns against his youthful recklessness, much to Isao's disappointment.

The story continues to document the plot and its aftermath.

"Runaway Horses" is an interesting critique of Japan during the early Showa era (from 1926); a Japan in transition. Mishima concentrates on the battle between old and new. Traditional Japan, represented in the values of loyalty to the emporer are set against the rising tide of capitalisation. The two major religions that are present in Japan today, Shinto and Buddhism, are set at odds with each other. Furthermore, Mishima imbibes his main character with the Wang Yangming philosophy of knowledge without action is not knowledge. This is shown in Isao's refusal to water down his revolutionary spirit.

"Runaway Horses" is an interesting novel that has Mishima's sensitive touch throughout, though not as eagerly as "Spring Snow". Well worth reading to continue through the tetralogy. Taken on its own, it can be laborious at times but overall a decent story commenting on the journey and evolution of one man's passion and devotion.