The nineteenth chapter of the third volume of Nihon-ryōi-ki is a religious fable about the fate of a “monstrous” nun who, in spite of persecution for her unnatural birth from a lump of flesh, finally became a saint called Shari-Bosatsu by means of the demigod's protection and her own efforts. This article will focus on the three narrative elements; unnatural birth, monstrosity, and a divine guardian. Gyōki's guardianship of the persecuted nun follows the plot of Kōsō-den and Bikuni-den where a priest assumes sainthood under the guidance of a demigod. Interestingly enough, however, it is not a priest but a nun that receives divine protection in this fable. Thus in the episode of Nihon-ryōi-ki the preceding mythical and religious discourses were “monstrously” reworked to give “unnatural birth” to the story of a woman saint.

“Kyōgen” interludes in Noh plays have been marginalized in proportion to the artistic sophistication of Noh, but they still work as an important theatrical device. The interludes performed in between the Taira Clan plays, for example, offer a vivid counterpoint to the main plays. While the comical and satirical performance of “kyōgen” temporarily suspends the tension of the serious dramas, a sharp contrast between comedy and tragedy remarkably heightens the dramatic effects of the main plays. In this sense Noh is a drama created by interaction between the two opposing forms.

In 1917 Junichirō Tanizaki wrote the article on films “Katsudōshashin-no-genzai-to-shōrai.” Although it is generally regarded as a topical essay, we can see the author's outlook on art and literature in the concept of “crystallization” he develops there. This paper will historically reconsider his film essay in which he struggles with the aporia of artistic representations. Indeed the concept of “crystallization” has left its mark on his stories such as “Nikukai,” “Aotsuka-shi-no-hanashi,” “Shunkin-shō,” and “Shōshō-shigemoto-no-haha.”

This paper reconsiders Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's 1915 novel “Dokutan.” While previous research has often treated “Dokutan” as evidence of Tanizaki's supposed infatuation with “the West,” this paper argues that the titular “German spy” G should not be interpreted as a mere representation of any particular culture, but rather as a meticulous depiction of a state of always being outside a specific culture. This paper first examines the media context in which “Dokutan” appears, focusing on German spy fears transplanted from Great Britain and the United States to Japan through newspaper reporting and publishing during the buildup to World War I. It then presents an analysis of the rhetorical devices used to entice readers of contemporary German spy novels, suggesting that the scopophilic desire to be shown the true identity of the spy coincides with a need to resolve the ambiguity presented by non-citizens in the modern nation-state. Finally, the paper reexamines the relationship between the narrator and G, demonstrating that Tanizaki explicitly removes the story from simplistic West/Japan tropes to focus on the special privileges of sight and permissiveness allowed to those who take up a position within an ambiguous area between national cultures.