Phenomenon of "the economic miracle" and Japanese literature of the 1960s
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-242X.2020.26.58-65
Keywords:
Japanese economic miracle, third wave of new writers, introverted generation, surrealism, intermediality in Japanese poetryAbstract
This review article is intended to contribute to thorough understanding of the literary process of Japan in the 1960s against the background of rapid economic development and prosperity. Main trends in the Japanese literature of that period, namely formation of "the introverted generation" and uprise of their prose, surrealistic experiments in poetry and radical reformation of the theater, were chosen as the object of research. The subject is the experimental nature of post-occupational Japanese literature during the period of "economic miracle". The article briefly examines historical context and milestones of the literary life of Japan in the 1960s, activities of the leading prose writers, poets and playwrights of that time and analyzes impact of "the economic miracle" on their creative quest and artistic experiments. It is revealed that change of value orientations and socio-cultural paradigm caused by increase of the political consciousness during protests against the Security Treaty with the United States, consolidation of consumer society and deepening of ecological crisis due to expansion of production facilities are reflected in artistic experiments of the representatives of different literary movements and schools of the above period. The paper determines that it was the time of confrontation between supporters of the democratic and confessional literature, formation of the so-called "introverted generation" that focused on themes of mass alienation and loneliness of modern Japanese, spiritual impoverishment and pretended well-being of the nation, etc. In poetry, surrealist experiments were increasingly popular, when the author enriched the poem with surreal images and symbols, bringing up topical issues of a philosophical nature. Fundamental changes took place in the drama, thanks to which the theater became mobile and offered the audience to take an active part in the play.
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