European naturalism reaches Japan at the end of the 19th century. Reading the works at first resulted in attempts to imitate them, which could be labeled as productive reception. Especially distinctive was the reception of Zola’s works – zolaism. In Japanese literature, productive reception of European naturalists is not regarded as shizenshugi, “naturalism”; at most, it is labeled as zenki shizenshugi, “early naturalism”. Shizen, the word used as the translation of the word nature, actually bears a traditional meaning as well, that being “as it is”. Not distinguishing between the two meanings led to many different interpretations of what naturalism actually was. Shizenshugi authors, admirers of European naturalists themselves, sought to describe things as they really are, the Reality, which turned out to be a subjective concept based on one’s own experience. Consequently, the shizenshugi novel quickly began to transform into shishōsetsu, “I-novel”. The zolaist Kosugi Tengai in “New Year’s Dress” (1900) applies the elements of Zola’s Nana and adapts them to a Japanese environment. On the other hand, Shimazaki Toson’s The Family (1910) partly incorporates the naturalistic themes and pays regard to the determinism of heredity, but is based on the author’s life. The Quilts (1907) by Tayama Katai is considered the first shishōsetsu and although it encompasses some naturalistic themes and references to European naturalism, appears as the author’s confession. Therefore, shizenshugi cannot be considered as productive reception of the European naturalism and can even be regarded as the continuation of it.
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