This article is about images of children in modern Japan, from the perspective of the sociology of knowledge.
The modern image of children in Japan was heavily influenced by the West. There were two important points in its formation: the Education Order of 1872, and the birth of modern children's literature (dowa) from around the turn of the century. The Education Order of 1872 institutionally created "children" as the objects of compulsory education. The birth of a children's literature is part of a change in social and cultural "knowledge" about children.
This article analyzes the magazine Akai Tori, which had a major role in the birth and diffusion of children's literature. Analysis of the images of children in over 200 stories from July 1918 to March 1929 reveals three basic images: "the good child," "the weak child," and "the pure child." The author discusses the social background to these images and the meanings they held, particularly in comparison with the magazine Shorten Kurabu, which was popular among children at about the same time.
Underlying the three images of children in Akai Tori is the image of "innocence." Through her analysis of Akai Tori, the author discusses the significance of the concept of "innocence" as a sub-value and counter-value in modern Japanese society.
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