From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth
This paper focuses on the writings of Hino Ashihei (1907-1960) about Okinawa, a corpus of twelve works composed over a period of sixteen years that were inspired by three visits to the Ryūkyū Islands. Hino is best known as a writer of war novels, but these twelve works have received almost no att...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Fondazione Università Ca’ Foscari
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Annali di Ca’ Foscari: Serie Orientale |
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| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2019/01/018 |
| _version_ | 1797645952796852224 |
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| author | Romagnoli, Stefano |
| author_facet | Romagnoli, Stefano |
| author_sort | Romagnoli, Stefano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This paper focuses on the writings of Hino Ashihei (1907-1960) about Okinawa, a corpus of twelve works composed over a period of sixteen years that were inspired by three visits to the Ryūkyū Islands. Hino is best known as a writer of war novels, but these twelve works have received almost no attention, partly because they are not considered Okinawan literature since Hino was a native of Kyūshū. The aim of this article is to show that Okinawa is not merely a setting for these neglected writings but rather a complex representation that incorporates the author’s gaze, his stance toward the region, and a topography of power. Moreover, this representation evolved over time to produce an array of at times contrasting images of Okinawa, whether as a tropical paradise, the shield of the nation, or a symbol of its occupation. On the other hand, the narrator’s stance, which is characterised at first by the strength and assertiveness of a first-person narrator, underwent a progressive disengagement that was intended, by this article’s interpretation, to introduce greater objectivity into Hino’s prose.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T14:55:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7970e21942c4bb9bb5455ad7f1f0926 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2385-3042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T14:55:20Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | Fondazione Università Ca’ Foscari |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annali di Ca’ Foscari: Serie Orientale |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7970e21942c4bb9bb5455ad7f1f09262023-10-30T08:26:16ZengFondazione Università Ca’ FoscariAnnali di Ca’ Foscari: Serie Orientale2385-30422019-06-0155110.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2019/01/018journal_article_1707From Secluded Paradise to Hell on EarthRomagnoli, Stefano0Sapienza Università di Roma, Italia This paper focuses on the writings of Hino Ashihei (1907-1960) about Okinawa, a corpus of twelve works composed over a period of sixteen years that were inspired by three visits to the Ryūkyū Islands. Hino is best known as a writer of war novels, but these twelve works have received almost no attention, partly because they are not considered Okinawan literature since Hino was a native of Kyūshū. The aim of this article is to show that Okinawa is not merely a setting for these neglected writings but rather a complex representation that incorporates the author’s gaze, his stance toward the region, and a topography of power. Moreover, this representation evolved over time to produce an array of at times contrasting images of Okinawa, whether as a tropical paradise, the shield of the nation, or a symbol of its occupation. On the other hand, the narrator’s stance, which is characterised at first by the strength and assertiveness of a first-person narrator, underwent a progressive disengagement that was intended, by this article’s interpretation, to introduce greater objectivity into Hino’s prose. http://doi.org/10.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2019/01/018Colonial gaze. Hino Ashihei. Imaginative geographies. Japan and Okinawa. Othering. US-occupied Okinawa |
| spellingShingle | Romagnoli, Stefano From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth Annali di Ca’ Foscari: Serie Orientale Colonial gaze. Hino Ashihei. Imaginative geographies. Japan and Okinawa. Othering. US-occupied Okinawa |
| title | From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth |
| title_full | From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth |
| title_fullStr | From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth |
| title_short | From Secluded Paradise to Hell on Earth |
| title_sort | from secluded paradise to hell on earth |
| topic | Colonial gaze. Hino Ashihei. Imaginative geographies. Japan and Okinawa. Othering. US-occupied Okinawa |
| url | http://doi.org/10.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2019/01/018 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT romagnolistefano fromsecludedparadisetohellonearth |