Miyabe Miyuki's Place in the Development of Japanese
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
MIYABE MIYUKI’S PLACE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF JAPANESE MYSTERY FICTION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Noriko Chino The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Professor Richard Torrance, Adviser Professor Gabriella Modan Professor William Tyler Approved by ___________________________________ Adviser East Asian Languages and Literatures Graduate Program ABSTRACT This study examines the mystery fiction of Miyabe Miyuki (b. 1960) in the context of the development of mystery fiction in Japan. In the hands of Matsumoto Seichō, Japanese mystery fiction was transformed in the postwar period: the focus of mystery fiction shifted from the puzzle-solving schema to uncovering the motives and psychology of the criminals. Miyabe Miyuki has become a master of the techniques of the genre. But she deploys them for broader purposes other than entertainment. The extraordinary popularity of Miyabe’s fiction is surely due to the fact that it teaches us how to respond to, or at least think about, a chaotic world full of deception. In this sense, it represents the best of what Japanese mystery fiction has had to offer in the postwar period. Miyabe incorporates mixed genres in her mystery fiction, but her overriding concern has been the realistic depiction of her contemporary society and the social problems it faces. In this sense, she has inherited the mantle of Matsumoto Seichō. Indeed, as Japanese fiction has become more interior and consumer oriented or, much in line with what critics have called postmodernism – Miyabe’s brand of mystery fiction can be seen as the inheritor of Japan’s distinguished tradition of realism from naturalism to social realism. This study points out that the basic structure of most of Miyabe’s mystery fiction coincides with the generic framework of mystery fiction. This observance of generic markers grounds the narrative in a clearly comprehensive and entertaining story. iii At the same time, however, Miyabe emphasizes characterization and motivation, which are more important in her fiction than the puzzle-solving aspect. Thus, the process of solving the crime often “teaches” the reader about real life issues: identity theft, excesses of the mass media, and so forth. Even when Miyabe incorporates mixed genres, such as, features of horror, science fiction, or fantasy in her works, she consistently uses these to the larger purpose of delineating the social problems that afflict contemporary society. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Above all, I would like to thank Dr. Richard Torrance for making a painstaking effort to read my dissertation and for giving me priceless and constructive advice which made this dissertation possible. Without his guidance and assistance I could not have come this far. I would like to thank Dr. Gabriella Modan for her knowledgeable consultation and warm encouragement. I would like to thank Dr. William Tyler for agreeing, on short notice, to be on my committee and for his kind instruction and advice over the years. I would like to thank Professors Mineharu Nakayama, Charles Quinn, and Etsuyo Yuasa at the Ohio State University and Professor Robert Underhill at San Diego State University for their guidance in the field of linguistics. I wish to thank the office staff at the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Debbie Knicely, Hui Chu, and Soyoung Han. I would like to thank my friends in the United States, Masako Inamoto, Ok Joo Lee, Erin Nelson, Terri Newnam, Kyoko Omori, Motoko Sims, Rumiko Sode, Jing Wang for their continuous friendship. v I would also thank my friends in Japan, Koichi Sawasaki, Miki, Mishina, Shin Banno, for their support and encouragement. They also helped me to collect data which were difficult to obtain in the United States. Finally, I would like to thank my husband Shuji Hioki and my son Hirotaka Chino for their understanding and support. vi VITA 1990 ·························································A.A. Liberal Arts, Palomar College. 1992························································· B.A. Political Science, Linguistics, San Diego State University. 1992··························································M.A. Linguistics, San Diego State University, 2005··························································Graduate Teaching Assistant of Japanese, San Diego State University. 2007··························································M.A. East Asian Literatures and Languages, The Ohio State University. PUBLICATIONS Research Publication 1. “The function of the passive voice in the Japanese Constitution: Chapter 1 “The Emperor.” Joseph, D Brian ed. Language & Communication 19: an interdisciplinary journal , Pergamon. London: 1999: 387-400. 2. “ No no shūtoku: shukaku to dōkaku,” Gengogaku to Nihongo kyōiku II . Minami Masahiko & Alam, Sasaki Sachiko eds. Kuroshio Shuppan. Tokyo: 2001:309-311. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: East Asian Languages and Literatures vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract·······························································································································iii Acknowlegements················································································································v Vita····································································································································vii Table of contents··············································································································viii Chapters: 1. Chapter 1························································································································1 Introduction ············································································································1 2. Chapter 2······················································································································15 The structure of Japanese mystery fiction·····························································15 3. The history of development of Japanese mystery fiction············································37 3.1 Chapter Introduction························································································37 3.2 Puzzle solving schema ···················································································· 39 3.2.1 Edogawa Ranpo······················································································39 3.2.2 Yokomizo Seishi·····················································································42 3.2.3 Arisugawa Arisu·····················································································47 3.3 The new movement in mystery fiction····························································51 3.3.1 Matsumoto Seichō··················································································51 3.3.2 Mizukami Tsutomu·················································································63 3.3.3 Morimura Seiichi····················································································66 3.3.4 Higashino Keigo·····················································································70 3.4 Chapter conclusion··························································································73 4. Miyabe Miyuki··············································································································77 4.1 Chapter Introduction························································································77 4.2 Miyabe Miyuki·································································································78 4.3 Stories and discussions····················································································84 4.3.1 “Warera ga rinjin no hanzai” (Our Neighbors’ Crimes) ·························84 4.3.2 Perfect blue······························································································88 4.3.3 Majutsu wa sasayaku (Devil’s Whisper) ················································93 4.3.4 Kasha (All she was Worth) ···································································101 4.3.5 “Hitojichi kanon” (Captured) ································································105 4.3.6 Riyū (The Reasons) ···············································································114 viii 4.3.7 Mohōhan (Copy Cat) ············································································121 4.3.8 Namonaki doku (Nameless Poison) ·····················································126 4.3.9 Rakuen (Paradise) ·················································································131 4.4 Conclusion································································································137 5. Translation of “Hitojichi kanon (Captured)·································································145 5.1 Chapter 1 of “Hitojichi kanon” ·····································································145 5.2 Chapter 2 of “Hitojichi kanon” ·····································································151 5.3 Chapter 3 of “Hitojichi kanon” ·····································································164 6. References····················································································································177 ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This study examines Miyabe Miyuki’s mystery fiction