Iwata Toyoo (1893— 1963) is the real name of Shishi Bunroku who was a popular humorist in his days. He studied modern French dramas in Paris (1922— 1925) and introduced them to Japan after he returned home, in cooperation with Kishida Kunio, who translated Renard’s novel “Poil de Carotte” under the Japanese title of “Ninjin” in 1933. Iwata directed a dramatization of “Ninjin” the following year, and three years later he wrote the novel “Koshou-musuko” where we find the deep influence of Renard’s “Ninjin”.

　Jules Renard wrote the novel “Poil de Carotte” in 1894 in which he mainly dealt with the relationship between mother and son. In 1900, the author dramatized the story, changing the leading characters from mother and son to father and son. Iwata adopted the characteristics of Ninjin’s father in his novel “Koshou-musuko” as a man of few words who was still able to express his thoughts and emotions to his son in times of need. To Japanese readers, this kind of father figure was rare in pre-war Japanese literature.

　In Renard’s novel and drama, Ninjin’s own mother treated her son harshly. However, Iwata changed Koshou-musuko’s cold-hearted mother to a step-mother in his story, perhaps in consideration of the strong bond between mother and children that existed in Japan. In those days, Japanese readers always expected the story of parental relations to be melodramatic but Iwata wrote a humorous story which, like Renard’s approach, depicted the relationship objectively, while expanding Renard’s original humor and satire.