2019 Volume 40 Pages 15-33
The purpose of this study is to investigate both the formative influence that Sadajirō’s Euro- American observation tour (henceforth, Euro-American tour) had on the development of his career as a critic, and the circumstances that led him to take the Euro-American tour. This study was based on a review of magazine articles that Sadajirō wrote before and during the war, literature concerning his life during that period, and his postwar memoirs. It became evident that the Euro- American tour had influenced Sadajirō’s decision to build a career as a critic. Furthermore, his experience in the Esperanto movement and the financial support he recieved from his wife’s family were essential prerequisites for the circumstances that led him to take the Euro-American Tour. His experience as a social education research student encouraged him to join graduate school, where the Japan-America Student Conference (North American experience) would directly motivate him to take the Euro-American tour.
