[Slate] The Misconception That Extreme Self-Sacrifice Is Noble

Natsume Soseki's Work and Ichikawa Gon’s Adaptation 'Kokoro'
Highlighting a Self-Centered Character Hurt and Alienated from the World
Outdated in Historical and Ideological Contexts... Also Imposes Meiji Spirit
Screened at the Japan Foundation Movie Festival

The flower of modern and contemporary Japanese literature is the novel. It recreated the reality of the time through factuality and typification (典型). The latter was not an average member of the community. It strongly embodied only the characteristics of the relevant group. In a rapidly changing society, it revealed the realities of social conditions in detail while pushing through thorns. It exposed subtle psychology and pointed out structural contradictions. It was like a mirror created by the writer's thoughts and consciousness.

Natsume Soseki

The literary figure who first presented the sample is considered to be Natsume Soseki (1867?1916). He is still praised for thoroughly examining the life of the Japanese middle class. Most protagonists in his novels are men educated at university. They are self-centered, get hurt, and become alienated from the world. Self-centeredness means thinking and acting based on one's own emotions or interests. If excessive, it is easy to be trapped by wrong prejudices. The teacher in "Kokoro (1914)" is a representative example. He suffers from guilt for driving his friend, who loved the same woman simultaneously, to suicide and chooses death himself.

"My heart, which had resolved to live thinking I was dead, was sometimes shaken by external stimuli. But whenever I reached out to grasp even a small thread, that terrifying force of the past came and gripped me tightly so I could not move. And that force shouted at me that I was not qualified to do anything. Then my hand, which I intended to extend to the world, quickly shriveled. This happened repeatedly. When I tried to rise, it suppressed me; when I tried to open my eyes, a black shadow came again. I clenched both hands and shouted at the shadow, asking why it blocked my way. The terrifying force laughed coldly like ice and said, 'You know well yourself.' Then I sat down again."

Movie 'Maeum' Still Cut

The inner turmoil between instinctual desire and social/personal ethics also appears in the film "Kokoro (1955)" directed by Ichikawa Kon (1915?2008). The complex and subtle relationship between the teacher Nobuchi (Mori Masayuki) and his friend Kaji (Mihashi Tatsuya) is placed at the forefront. The former constantly agonizes between egoism (an attitude seeking only one's own benefit) and ethical consciousness. The source of darkness is revealed through the university student Hioki (Yasui Shoji). After living with Nobuchi, he goes back to his hometown upon hearing of his father's illness, and shortly after receives a letter. It is Nobuchi's suicide note.

Director Ichikawa focuses on conveying emotions leading to death such as pain, worry, despair, and confusion. Although Mori Masayuki's restrained acting is not very clear, a definite purpose is evident in camera movements and other elements. This sensory direction can be seen at the 'Japan Foundation Movie Festival' held from the 25th of this month to the 11th of next month. The event is hosted annually by the Japan Foundation Seoul Cultural Center and the Korean Film Archive.

This year, sixteen films adapted from original works by eight modern and contemporary Japanese literary authors (Natsume, Kawabata Yasunari, Tanizaki Junichiro, Dazai Osamu, Mishima Yukio, Uno Chiyo, Harada Yasuko, Hayashi Fumiko) will be screened. These include Ichikawa's "Kokoro," "The Key (1959)," "The Flame (1958)," and "The Go-Between (1984)," Morita Yoshimitsu's "Sorekara (And Then, 1985)," Toyoda Shiro's "Snow Country (1957)" and "The Cat, Shozo, and Two Women (1956)," Nishikawa Katsumi's "The Dancer of Izu (1963)," Masumura Yasuzo's "Manji (1964)," Negishi Kichitaro's "The Wife of a High Cost (2009)," Nakahira Ko's "Shaking Virtue (1957)," Kurahara Koreyoshi's "Thirst for Love (1967)," Kosho Heinosuke's "Manga (1957)," and Naruse Mikio's "Man and Woman (1954)," "Floating Clouds (1955)," and "Wandering (1962)." All are works difficult to find on online streaming services (OTT), and except for "Sorekara (And Then)," they will be screened in 35mm prints. A representative from the Korean Film Archive introduced, "You can see on screen the anxiety, gloom, boredom, passion, obsession with beauty, humor, and hope of authors who lived through modern times."

It cannot compare to novels. There are fewer opportunities to look into the characters' inner selves. The level of observation is relatively shallow, so it is easy to be left with only a lingering impression. "Kokoro" is no exception. Hioki's perspective and Nobuchi's narration focus respectively on explanation about deduction and essence. There is no room for the question "Why?" to intervene. Therefore, the ethical embodiment background of self-sacrifice, such as loyalty and patriotism ideology or honor restoration, appears vaguely. In the novel, bushido ethics directly appear as the foundation of spiritualism. It even emerges as a uniquely Japanese spiritual ethic opposing Western civilization. It is close to old customs and gives an outdated feeling in historical and ideological contexts.

Movie 'Maeum' Still Cut

Professor Yoon Sang-in of the Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations at Seoul National University explained in a 2015 open forum lecture, "'Kokoro' as a text has a layered structure where the story of 'heart' overlaps on two levels: the 'individual heart' suffering from guilt and the 'heart of the subjects' who lived through the Meiji era." He added, "Until now, the mainstream view has been that the teacher's suicide with the end of Meiji is somewhat unnatural, but this is probably the result of this layering. This layering also forms the source of the political ambiguity of this text. (...) The deaths of the three (the Emperor, General Nogi, and the teacher) all coincide in that, to varying degrees, the physical phenomenon of death involves ideas about history and the nation. The death of the Meiji Emperor at least creates a homogeneous sense of unity with the nation and era for the characters in this novel. Furthermore, the Emperor's death symbolizes the national ideology called 'the spirit of Meiji.'"

In the film, it is conveyed as regret and remorse expressed in unforgettable fragments. The human confession framework is emphasized more than the social situation of the time, which may give a different impression from the novel. However, the retro color or loyalty and patriotism ideology is not thoroughly excluded. For example, just before Nobuchi decides to die, the film delicately depicts people mourning the Emperor's death. This is evidence that it did not escape the category of a 'teaching' text. The novel has been steadily read in various educational settings to cultivate reliable citizens. It was revered as a national morality emphasizing ascetic spiritualism. Extreme self-sacrifice can never represent a noble human being. It is merely a teacher who claims self-cultivation (修身) as a pretext. This fact does not change even if the medium of transmission changes.