ABSTRACT
The question as to which approach I take in the study of literature is closely connected with my position as a researcher and teacher of modern Japanese literature, who addresses a European/American audience. I would therefore like to begin this chapter by asking a question that has a direct bearing on my position: Why do I write/talk about 'modern Japanese literature'? Is it because it has some intrinsic value that is different from Western literatures and should be demonstrated to the Western reader? Is it because it gives an insight into the nature of modern Japanese culture and as such is beneficial for every Westerner if only in the name of cultural pluralism? Or is it because the study of modern Japanese literature as one of many minor literatures creates an opportunity for critical intervention with the Western reader by forcing her or him to confront specific problems associated with interpreting texts outside their own tradition?
