Memories of the Colony: Beginning with Natsume Soseki’s Travels in Machuria and Korea (Mankan Tokoro Dokoro)

• Main Author: Shuwen FAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Global Institute for Japanese Studies, Korea University 2017-12-01
• Series: Gwagyeong Ilboneo Munhak Yeongu
• Subjects: a novella that showed the naked realities of war in Manchuria; “And Then” (Sorekara); and “The Gate” (Mon); written after his tour of the colonies. This paper investigates the portrayal of Manchuria in the aforementioned novels; comparing and contrasts how the colony is depicted before and after Soseki’s visit. Through this process; Memories; colony; Soseki; Manchuria
• Online Access: https://www.bcjjl.org/upload/pdf/bcjjlls-5-1-173.pdf

The Japanese colony of Manchuria appeared numerous times in Soseki’s works: he wrote “Travels in Manchuria and Korea” (Mankan Tokoro Dokoro) after being invited on a tour to these colonies. Other works featuring the colonies include “The Heredity of Taste” (Shumi no iden), a novella that showed the naked realities of war in Manchuria, “And Then” (Sorekara), and “The Gate” (Mon), written after his tour of the colonies. This paper investigates the portrayal of Manchuria in the aforementioned novels, comparing and contrasts how the colony is depicted before and after Soseki’s visit. Through this process, further understandings of Soseki’s feelings towards the colony are revealed.