12:00
SOAS
October 21
Russell Square: College Buildings
Japanese cozy fiction enjoys a huge success in the West? But is the “Japanese cozy fiction” label relevant in it of itself? What sense should we make out of it? Does it make any sense?
Japanese feel-good literature has enjoyed considerable success in Europe, particularly in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. However, expressions such as “healing fiction” (hīringu fikushon) or “comfort fiction” (iyashikei bungaku) are not so frequently used in Japan.
The “Japanese healing fiction” category could thus appear as an artificial creation, fabricated outside Japan. In this presentation, I will question the relevance or irrelevance of this label by investigating and describing the various types of Japanese fiction that are usually classified as “feel-good”, “cozy fiction” or “healing fiction”.
This event will be followed by a sake reception.
The Japan Research Centre Meiji Jingu Autumn Lecture is sponsored through the generosity of the Meiji Jingu-Intercultural Research Institute.