Colonial Japanese Literature and Student Literature of Keijo Imperial University

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to clarify an element of student literature in Keijo Imperial University, the origin of Japanese colonial literature. Japanese colonial literature refers to the literature of the Japanese who lived in colonial Joseon. It flourished in the first half of the 1940’s when Korean and Japanese writers came together. The Japanese writers were simultaneously distinct from those in their homeland from the perspective of literary direction and from local writers in occupied Korea. At Keijo Imperial University, students had two magazines in which they could publish literary works. In a preparatory course they published Seiryo and in a regular course they published Jodai Bungaku. This thesis focuses on Issiki, who participated actively in both magazines. In Seiryo, he insisted on realism literature and for that reason he criticized imperial Japan and showed a sense of solidarity with the Korean writer, Chang Hyukju, who played an active part in Tokyo literary circles. He published an inter-textual literary poem which was inspired by Chang’s novel.

Keywords

• Issiki Takesi
• Student’s Literature
• Keijo Imperial University
• Japanese colonial literature in Joseon