problems, the author succeeded in presenting not only an individual child, but a
member of a rapidly changing society.
As society changed, so genuine historical novels began to appear. Sukeyuki Imanishi’s
Higo no Ishiku [A Stonemason of Higo] (1965), is a story of feudal Japan, in which the
stonemason attempts to keep his bridge-building techniques secret so that they will be
used for peaceful, rather than military purposes. Uragami no Tabibitotachi [Exiles of
Uragami] (1969), is another fine example of this author’s work, a fictional record of the
sufferings of Christians in Nagasaki early in the Meiji Era. Yasuo Maekawa (1921–)
published a remarkable book, Majin no Umi [The Bewitched Sea] in 1968. It tells the
story of the Ainu people who lived on a small island between Russia and Japan in the
last decade of the eighteenth century, and their tragic struggle for independence. The
author’s intention was to discuss the meaning of nationality in a complicated world.
The turning point for realistic fiction was Bokuchan no Senjô [The Battlefield of a Naïve
Boy] (1969) by Tsuguo Okuda (1934–). The characters in this novel, which deals with the
compulsory evacuation of elementary school children during the last stage of the Pacific
war, differ from their counterparts in the novels of the 1950s and the first half of the
1960s. They are no longer model children; childhood was changing with the high growth
rate of the economy.
Young adult novelsThe growth of the young adult novel was one of the characteristics of the 1970s. In his
most famous work, Bonbon [A Boy From a Good Family] (1973), Yoshitomo Imae (1932–)
wrote a successful modern bildungsroman around the protagonist’s childhood during
the Japanese—Chinese war. Kenjiro Haitani’s Usagi no Me [Rabbit’s Eye] (1974) showed
the realities of children who were unsuccessful in the examination-centred education
system, making clear the terrible lack of compassion in all levels of society. Other
outstanding new writers of this period were Yumiko Izawa, Tatsuya Saragai and Keiko
Takada.
A striking feature of realistic works in the 1980s was the fact that the borderline
between works for adults and for children became less clear: many young writers wrote
for readers in general, rather than especially for children. They tried to treat both adults
and children as human beings. Fresh and noteworthy examples are Mama no Kiiroi Kozô
[Mother’s Little Yellow Elephant] (1986) by Akiko Sueyoshi, Samâ Taimu [Summer Time]
(1990) by Takako Satô, Watagashi [Candyfloss] (1991) by Kaori Ekuni, and 800 [800
Metre Race] (1992) by Makoto Kawashima.
Fantasy and imaginationEpoch-making imaginative works also appeared, under the influence of British and
American fantasy, and humorous and nonsensical novels with individual characters
were written. Typical is the story of an English dwarf family’s life in Japan before,
during, and after the war, Tomiko Inui’s Kokage no Ie no Kobitotachi [Little Men in a House
Under the Big Tree] (1959). But the really innovative work was Daremo Shiranai
Chiisana Kuni [My Little People and Their Country] (1959) by Satoru Satô (1928-). The
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