Contemporary Japanese Literature

Lovers of Japanese and Asian literature, rejoice! This superb survey of one of the most active and interesting literary scenes of the twentieth century is back in print. Contemporary Japanese Literature brings together works in translation from nearly two dozen major postwar Japanese writers—including Mishima, Tanizaki, Abe, Kawabata, and Kanai—in a literary gathering that is unmatched in its breadth. The stories, poetry, a play—even scripts from film directors Kurosawa and Ozu—cut through genre and issue to capture the feel of post-1945 Japanese culture: a bold, unsettling modernism thrust upon a traditional society. Editor Howard Hibbett, professor emeritus of Japanese literature at Harvard University, contributes a preface and short biographical study of each writer. Authoritative and rich in provocative reading, Contemporary Japanese Literature is a guidebook for everyone interested in the impact of literature on our world.