Abstract

Kenji Nakagami (1946–1992) was the first postwar-born writer to receive the Akutagawa Prize. Living between the “postwar” and the contemporary,” Nakagami persistently portrayed the alleys and neighborhoods that were disappearing under redevelopment during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth. His body of work is infused with an unwavering commitment to transformation and resistance. This book offers an ideal guide to the fictional time and space that Nakagami constructed through his extraordinary imagination.

Author’s Information

Eri Watanabe was born in Kumamoto Prefecture and raised in Kagoshima Prefecture. She completed her doctoral coursework at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, but withdrew before receiving her degree. She holds a PhD (Academic, University of Tokyo). She is currently a professor at the Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University. Her areas of specialization are Japanese literature, criticism, and literary theory. Her publications include "A Study of Kenji Nakagami" (Inscript, winner of the 14th Japan Society for Cultural Studies Award), "Women Arriving: The Literary Thought of Michiko Ishimure, Kiiko Nakamura, and Kazue Morisaki" (Shoshi Kankanbo), and "Critical Words: Literary Theory" (co-edited with Yoshiaki Mihara and Satoshi Udo, Film Art, Inc.).