Filter by
The Japan Foundation

New Humans, New Novels: Japanese Literature from 1980s-90s

Where
The Japan Foundation
The Japan Foundation
Level 4, Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale NSW 2008
Level 4 (access via lifts). Online attendance also available.
When

Thursday 18 March 2021 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm

This is the second talk in 'Read Japan: A Booklover's Guide to Japanese Literature in Translation, 1960 - Now', a three-part series introducing contemporary Japanese fiction.

In the 1980s, Japanese society began to experience some of the downsides of rapid economic growth. The media of the time coined the term ‘shin-jinrui’ (‘new humans’) to refer to the new generation that had grown up in a time of affluence and had no experience of the hardship of wartime and the early postwar years. These young people were portrayed as uninterested in the value of hard work and spirit of sacrifice that had inspired postwar reconstruction, and as result were seen as individualistic, superficial, and lacking political consciousness.

In the realm of literature, a new generation of authors, from Ryū Murakami and Haruki Murakami to Banana Yoshimoto and Amy Yamada, emerged to give voice to the distinctive combination of disillusionment and hope that characterised this generation. 

This talk by Rebecca Suter (Associate Professor in Japanese Studies at the University of Sydney) examines a range of literary works of the 1980s and 1990s and the ways in which they reflected and affected the social transformations of their time.

A recommended reading list will be provided at the end of the session. Attendees can also receive a 20% discount voucher from Books Kinokuniya Sydney, redeemable online, and will have a chance to win a book pack themed around the reading list for this talk, also courtesy of Books Kinokuniya Sydney.

'Read Japan: A Booklover's Guide to Japanese Literature in Translation, 1960 - Now' explores fiction produced in Japan through three talks. Each talk focuses on a 20-year period (1960s-70s, 1980s-90s, 2000-present), discussing expert picks from the literature of the time and highlighting the social and cultural context that informed them. Read Japan runs on Thursday nights from March 11 - 25, 2021, presented by The Japan Foundation, Sydney.

Onsite & online. Free; registration essential.

Accessibility

Advertisement

More events in Talks, courses & workshops

Emma Fielden 'Hours of Stars' at Passage Gallery

Emma Fielden 'Hours of Stars' at Passage Gallery

Installation and performance create a space for cosmic reflection where the terrestrial plane mirrors the celestial
Today all day
Chinese painting for beginners to advanced

Chinese painting for beginners to advanced

A free weekly class for beginners, led by an experienced Mandarin speaking tutor
Today 10.15am to 1.30pm
Creative writing kickstarter - Potts Point

Creative writing kickstarter - Potts Point

4 week creative writing workshop for authors to develop skills and techniques
Today 10am to 12pm
Code Camp - free STEAM events for kids

Code Camp - free STEAM events for kids

That's right, it’s totally FREE fun learning for Aussie kids.  
Today 9am to 4pm
English conversation class

English conversation class

Improve your language skills in this free weekly class for beginners
Today 1pm to 3pm
All Good Here

All Good Here

Bridget Kelly latest exhibition
Today 11am to 5pm
Anything Goes art exhibition

Anything Goes art exhibition

Works on paper by Bathurst St Printmakers and the Campbell Collective
Today 10am to 4pm