ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the narrative on the “original forms” of Japan and Russia in the writings of one of the most popular contemporary writers of historical novels and cultural essayists, Shiba Ryo-taro-(1923-96). As will be argued below, his writings not only contributed to deepening and popularizing the hierarchical construction of Japan and Russia (examined in Chapter 3) but also engaged in submersion of the Ainu challenge to the quest for “inherent territory.” Furthermore, the reason for the focus on Shiba is not only his popularity but also the fact that he served as a human link between the debates on Russia and the Ainu. Namely, Shiba was one of the seven members of the Council of Experts established by the government in 1994 to help draft the new legislation aimed at promoting Ainu culture (Siddle 2002: 408). As such, Shiba was one of the people directly involved in revision of the “former natives” law. In spite of the continuing popularity of Shiba’s historical novels and essays, there is a dearth of academic literature in English on his work. Hence, before turning to Shiba’s writings on Russia, the next few pages will briefly introduce him and his role in the construction of Japan’s identity.
