The uses of literature in modern Japan

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This study examines the diverse roles of literature in Japan from the late Meiji period to today, highlighting how creators, conveyors, and consumers view texts and authors as cultural resources for packaging, promotion, and preservation. As literacy surged in early 20th-century Japan, the publishing industry expanded significantly, influencing both the form and content of literary works. The author explores various industry stakeholders, alongside previously overlooked aspects like the materiality of texts, the influence of editors and advertising, and the relationship between literature and other media. She also addresses how readers interact creatively with literary works, from misinterpretations of propaganda to innovative adaptations in visual formats and the rise of literary tourism. By examining the historical context—such as the increase in literacy and social mobility during the Meiji period, changes in leisure time and unemployment in the Taisho period, and wartime censorship followed by economic growth in the Showa period—this work appeals to scholars and students of modern Japanese literature, as well as those interested in the history of the book and modern Japanese cultural history.