Japanese Queer Fiction: A Contemporary Perspective
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QUEER FICTION
IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN
Naoko OHRI
WGS M.A. Program
Introduction to L&G/Q Studies
5/3/2018
CONTENTS
Why Japanese Queer Fiction?
The Purpose of This Course (*See the syllabus handed out)
The List of Texts
Other Readings
Schedule (*See the syllabus)
Assignments and Grading (*See the syllabus)
WHY JAPANESE QUEER FICTION?
Personal Reasons
Discipline:
Literary Criticism
(Feminist Criticism in American Literature)
Cultural Background: International Student from Japan
Japanese Queer Fiction As An Open Educational Resource
Rapid Progress in Queer Fiction in Japan in the Past 25 years
Japanese Contemporary Literature Begun to be Released in Global Markets
THE LIST OF TEXTS
(OVERVIEW)
Is My List
Too Straight
and
Feminist for Queer Studies Courses
?
Matsuura’s lesbianism,
Natural Woman
(1991) (*not translated in English)
Kirino’s assumption of a masculine name as an author
Women’s Preponderance in Queer Fiction
Characteristics Shared Among the Authors Selected
Critical views of heteronormativity, the objectification of women’s sexuality,
and the
normative form of family arrangement
The Peculiar Significance of
The Waiting Years
To
get a basic understanding of how and since when normative sexuality in
modern Japan has been formulated
TEXT 1
MATSUURA
THE APPRENTICESHIP OF BIG TOE P
It
is “
the story of a
young Japanese woman who wakes up one afternoon to discover
that her big toe has turned into a penis. After fleeing from her homophobic fiancé,
she falls in love with a bisexual blind pianist who accepts her for whom she is, and
together they join a troupe of performers----all sexually deformed and emotionally
twisted men and women.” ----Amazon.
com.
Queer Sexuality As a Kind of Disability
Disable People’s Historical Contribution to The Birth of Show Business
→
Theoretical Reading: Tobin Siebers, “Disability as Masquerade”
(*Provided by Professor Brim in Dropbox)
TEXT
2
KIRINO
GROTESQUE
Out (
Kodansha International, 2003)
*Translated in English by Stephen Snyder. The original was published in
Japan in 1997
and
won
a Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1998
Grotesque
Narrative From A Variety of Perspectives, Like That of Ryunosuke
AKUTAGAWA’s
Rashomon
(1915) and Its Adaptation by Film Director
Akira KUROSAWA (1950)
A Graphic Description of
Grotesque
Destinations of The Objectification
of Sexuality in Postmodern Japan
→
Theoretical Reading: Susan K Gardner, “Coming out of the Sexual
Harassment Closet” (*Find in Dropbox. I took it up in my earlier presentation)
TEXT 3
NISHIKAWA
DREAMS FOR SALE
What is So Queer About This Film?
The husband selling himself for money and
his wife playing the role of a prostitution operator
An exploration of gender roles in sexuality and
a candid representation of a woman’s sexual desire
→
Comparison
with
American
Queer
Fiction: John Keene,
“An Outtake of the Ideological Origins of
the American Revolution” (*Provided by Prof. Brim in Dropbox)
TEXT 4
NISHIKAWA
THE LONG EXCUSE
It is “the love story of a man who had no tears to cry
when his wife died. Sachio, who is with another woman
when his wife and a friend die en route to a ski resort,
has no choice but to act the part of a grieving husband.
Meeting Yoichi, the truly desolated truck-driver husband
of his wife’s friend, he volunteers to help look after Yoichi’s
two young children. He discovers the pleasure of being useful,
and his own existence takes on new meaning.” ----Amazon.
com.
What is So Queer About This Film?
Sachio and Yoichi As Mock Gay Couple With Kids
An Exploration of Alternative
Intimate
Communities of the Family
TEXT 5
ENCHI
THE WAITING YEARS (1/2)
The heroine spent her whole life denying herself
for the sake of her family, but in her perception,
her sacrifice is for something what is greater good. “A
“A remarkable woman in the turn of the nineteenth
century, she manages the family household, oversees
various land holdings without the aid of her husband
or an education, and provides for many, in spite of the
restrictions of her life.”----Amazon. com.
TEXT 5
ENCHI
THE WAITING YEARS (2/2)
What Is the Good of This Novel In Queer Studies Courses?
Utility as a kind of Anthropological Material
which gives us readers a basic knowledge of What Things Were
on the Eve of the Beginning of the Modernization of Sexuality in Japan
→
Theoretical Reading:
Saskia
Guckenburg. "
The Waiting Years
by Fumiko Enchi:
Gender Roles in Japanese Society During the Turn of the 19
th
Century”
OTHER READINGS
To Provide Contexts and Theoretical Frameworks
To Provide Objects of Comparison
Key Words Shared Among the Readings and Connecting them with Texts I discussed
Disability, Disguise, Social Hierarchy, and Picaresque Roman
Recommended Texts
Classics In American Queer Fiction
and
One
More
Piece of Contemporary
Japanese Queer Fiction
As Further Objects of Comparison and Options to Make Use of for
Assignments
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Naoko OHRI
Delve into the world of Japanese queer fiction through this course introducing the evolution of queer storytelling in contemporary Japan. Discover literary works, critical analysis, and cultural backgrounds shaping the narrative landscape of Japanese queer literature.
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Presentation Transcript
QUEER FICTION Naoko OHRI WGS M.A. Program Introduction to L&G/Q Studies IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN 5/3/2018
CONTENTS Why Japanese Queer Fiction? The Purpose of This Course (*See the syllabus handed out) The List of Texts Other Readings Schedule (*See the syllabus) Assignments and Grading (*See the syllabus)
WHY JAPANESE QUEER FICTION? Personal Reasons Discipline: Literary Criticism (Feminist Criticism in American Literature) Cultural Background: International Student from Japan Japanese Queer Fiction As An Open Educational Resource Rapid Progress in Queer Fiction in Japan in the Past 25 years Japanese Contemporary Literature Begun to be Released in Global Markets
THE LIST OF TEXTS (OVERVIEW) Is My List Too Straight and Feminist for Queer Studies Courses? Matsuura s lesbianism, Natural Woman (1991) (*not translated in English) Kirino s assumption of a masculine name as an author Women s Preponderance in Queer Fiction Characteristics Shared Among the Authors Selected Critical views of heteronormativity, the objectification of women s sexuality, and the normative form of family arrangement The Peculiar Significance of The Waiting Years To get a basic understanding of how and since when normative sexuality in modern Japan has been formulated
TEXT 1 MATSUURA THE APPRENTICESHIP OF BIG TOE P It is the story of a young Japanese woman who wakes up one afternoon to discover that her big toe has turned into a penis. After fleeing from her homophobic fianc , she falls in love with a bisexual blind pianist who accepts her for whom she is, and together they join a troupe of performers----all sexually deformed and emotionally twisted men and women. ----Amazon. com. Queer Sexuality As a Kind of Disability Disable People s Historical Contribution to The Birth of Show Business Theoretical Reading: Tobin Siebers, Disability as Masquerade (*Provided by Professor Brim in Dropbox)
TEXT 2 KIRINO GROTESQUE Out (Kodansha International, 2003) *Translated in English by Stephen Snyder. The original was published in Japan in 1997 and won a Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1998 Grotesque Narrative From A Variety of Perspectives, Like That of Ryunosuke AKUTAGAWA s Rashomon (1915) and Its Adaptation by Film Director Akira KUROSAWA (1950) A Graphic Description of Grotesque Destinations of The Objectification of Sexuality in Postmodern Japan Theoretical Reading: Susan K Gardner, Coming out of the Sexual Harassment Closet (*Find in Dropbox. I took it up in my earlier presentation)
TEXT 3 NISHIKAWA DREAMS FOR SALE What is So Queer About This Film? The husband selling himself for money and his wife playing the role of a prostitution operator An exploration of gender roles in sexuality and a candid representation of a woman s sexual desire Comparison with American Queer Fiction: John Keene, An Outtake of the Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (*Provided by Prof. Brim in Dropbox)
TEXT 4 NISHIKAWA THE LONG EXCUSE It is the love story of a man who had no tears to cry when his wife died. Sachio, who is with another woman when his wife and a friend die en route to a ski resort, has no choice but to act the part of a grieving husband. Meeting Yoichi, the truly desolated truck-driver husband of his wife s friend, he volunteers to help look after Yoichi s two young children. He discovers the pleasure of being useful, and his own existence takes on new meaning. ----Amazon. com. What is So Queer About This Film? Sachio and Yoichi As Mock Gay Couple With Kids An Exploration of Alternative Intimate Communities of the Family
TEXT 5 ENCHI THE WAITING YEARS (1/2) The heroine spent her whole life denying herself for the sake of her family, but in her perception, her sacrifice is for something what is greater good. A A remarkable woman in the turn of the nineteenth century, she manages the family household, oversees various land holdings without the aid of her husband or an education, and provides for many, in spite of the restrictions of her life. ----Amazon. com.
TEXT 5 ENCHI THE WAITING YEARS (2/2) What Is the Good of This Novel In Queer Studies Courses? Utility as a kind of Anthropological Material which gives us readers a basic knowledge of What Things Were on the Eve of the Beginning of the Modernization of Sexuality in Japan Theoretical Reading: Saskia Guckenburg. "The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi: Gender Roles in Japanese Society During the Turn of the 19thCentury
OTHER READINGS To Provide Contexts and Theoretical Frameworks To Provide Objects of Comparison Key Words Shared Among the Readings and Connecting them with Texts I discussed Disability, Disguise, Social Hierarchy, and Picaresque Roman Recommended Texts Classics In American Queer Fiction and One More Piece of Contemporary Japanese Queer Fiction As Further Objects of Comparison and Options to Make Use of for Assignments
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Naoko OHRI
