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DREAMS from BELOW: YUMENO KYŪSAKU and SUBCULTURE LITERATURE in JAPAN by Nathen Clerici M.A., University of Colorado, 2004 B.S.B

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DREAMS from BELOW: YUMENO KYŪSAKU and SUBCULTURE LITERATURE in JAPAN by Nathen Clerici M.A., University of Colorado, 2004 B.S.B DREAMS FROM BELOW: YUMENO KYŪSAKU AND SUBCULTURE LITERATURE IN JAPAN by Nathen Clerici M.A., University of Colorado, 2004 B.S.B.A., University of Denver, 1999 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Asian Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) May 2013 © Nathen Clerici, 2013 Abstract Since the middle of the 2000s and the rise of Cool Japan, manga, anime, video games, Japanese horror films and J-Pop music are more popular than ever throughout the world. Both in Japan and abroad, these popular culture products are often synonymous with subculture. Sabukaruchā, as it is known in Japan, is a hot topic even as the concept itself remains unresolved. In this context, what role does literature—a field no longer atop the cultural hierarchy—have to do with the ongoing negotiation of what subculture means in modern Japan? The elements of what we now consider subcultural media and narratives have roots in the literature of past decades, and in this dissertation I explore the possibility of a new analytical framework: “subculture literature.” By thinking of subculture as a reception category—not unlike cult film—rather than in terms of concrete genres such as manga or anime, I adopt the concept of “subcultural affects” to examine notions of marginality and how society defines itself (and responds to external definitions). Similar to what might be considered narrative elements in a literary context, subcultural affects are the aspects of a text that are drawn out by readers to form affective constellations predicated on minorness. As a case study, I turn to the texts and reception of Yumeno Kyūsaku (1889-1936), a writer of mystery fiction who, despite achieving modest popular success in the late 1920s and early 1930s, was largely forgotten until his writing was revived in the context of 1960s sub- and counter- culture. For a politically-engaged youth, Kyūsaku offered an alternative model of being in the world: romantic and darkly comic, and engaged with questions of authority and madness. But how was his work received when it was written? Using the subcultural affects of henkaku, nansensu and dochaku, I consider the long-term reception of Kyūsaku’s work as a way to begin to bridge not only the gaps between historical eras, but between center and margin, major and minor, and popular and elite. ii Preface This dissertation is original, unpublished, independent work by the author, Nathen Clerici. iii Table of Contents Abstract........................................................................................................................................... ii Preface............................................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................... v Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 Enter Subculture.......................................................................................................................... 5 Enter Sabukaruchā...................................................................................................................... 8 Subcultural Affects ................................................................................................................... 18 Genre, Cult and Bunka.............................................................................................................. 21 Introducing Yumeno Kyūsaku.................................................................................................. 30 Chapter Layout: Henkaku, Nansensu and Dochaku ................................................................. 33 Chapter 1: The Strangeness of Henkaku....................................................................................... 41 The Demon Emerges................................................................................................................. 41 Abnormality, Hentai and Henkaku ........................................................................................... 46 Tokyo Hentai ............................................................................................................................ 57 Henkaku in Oshie no kiseki....................................................................................................... 64 Henkaku Hell ............................................................................................................................ 74 The Mission of Henkaku Detective Fiction .............................................................................. 96 Chapter 2: Sensible Nansensu....................................................................................................... 99 Modern Nonsense ..................................................................................................................... 99 Two Essays on Nansensu........................................................................................................ 109 Nansensu Gets the Last Laugh................................................................................................ 121 Nansensu of War..................................................................................................................... 125 Nansensu and Noh .................................................................................................................. 138 Chapter 3: Down and Dirty with Dochaku ................................................................................. 146 Kyūsaku and Postwar Dochaku .............................................................................................. 147 Dog Gods, Gender Ambivalence, Politics and Coalmines ..................................................... 157 Merry Fellows......................................................................................................................... 173 Dochaku after the 1960s ......................................................................................................... 176 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 181 Subcultural Affects ................................................................................................................. 183 Yumeno Kyūsaku, Henkaku, Nansensu and Dochaku............................................................ 185 Dual Timeframes .................................................................................................................... 190 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 197 iv Acknowledgements I could not have written this dissertation without the support I received from so many individuals and institutions. Thanks must first go out to my advisor, Sharalyn Orbaugh, whose insight and advice throughout the entire process has been just right. I would also like to extend thanks to my committee members, Ernest Mathijs, Stefania Burk and Joshua Mostow. I am grateful for the support of the UBC Asian Studies faculty, staff and graduate students, all of whom have contributed to my growth within the program. The resources at the UBC Asian Library ensured I was not lacking for materials, and librarian Shirin Eshghi is as good as they come. The Japan Foundation generously funded me for a year’s research at Hokkaido University. I benefitted tremendously from time spent with Oshino Takeshi, who graciously gave of his time and energy, and with the cadre of graduate students who helped me find a home away from home. Special thanks go out to Fujimori-kun, Inoue Kishō (Oyabun), Han Yeonsun, Shioya Masahiro, Irifune, the Saitōs at the Kōka café, and Adanonki-san. Sugiyama Mitsumaru not only ensured that I had access to special collections housed in the Fukuoka Prefectural Library, but his efforts brought Fukuoka and Yumeno Kyūsaku to life for me. And a special acknowledgement goes out to Takashima Masatake and Yamamoto Iwao for their generosity. I wish to thank numerous friends and colleagues who pushed me to think about my topic in new ways and otherwise made life more enjoyable: Nick Hall, Yuki Ohsawa, Gideon Fujiwara, Asato Ikeda, Dafna Zur, Kuroiwa Yūichi, Robban Toleno, Eisuke Shimo, Itō Riwa, Kevin Singleton, Josiah Wahlrab and Sidney Boquiren. Finally, I offer my deepest gratitude to my wife, Malia Cordel, my parents Sally and Jim Row and John Clerici, and to Peter and Judy Cordel. And even though he came late to the game, Keoni has inspired me in more ways than one. v Introduction We are Ashita no Jō. -- Tamiya Takamaro -- March 30, 1970 On March 31, 1970, nine university students, all members of the Red Army Faction (Sekigun ha), hijacked Japan Airlines Flight 351 (aka Yodo-gō) at Haneda Airport in Tokyo and demanded to be flown to North Korea. During an emergency landing in Fukuoka to refuel, twenty-three women and children were released, after which the jet headed north with the remaining ninety-nine people (including crew and passengers). An attempt to trick the hijackers was made by landing in Seoul,
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