Literary History and Geopolitics: Natsume Soseki's Nihon no Kaika (The Enlightenment of Modern Japan)

Abstract

In Japan's rapid modernization, which took place under the influence of Western modernization, Natsume Soseki saw not the progression of history, but rather the loss of history. His discourse on this subject can be said to present a geopolitical framework in that it contains such geographical terms as “Japan and the West” or “Asian and Western culture,” along with the implied power structure these terms denote. In this paper, I examine the formation of the theme of modernity in Japan, which was one important source of Soseki's language. I then consider how this theme changed through history, and shed light on its limitations. At the same time, with an awareness of contemporary issues, I think about the possibilities for recycling the theme of modernity today.