“Bunshō Dokuhon” (Manuals of Japanese Prose) — Overview

“Bunshō Dokuhon” (Manuals of Japanese Prose)

In Japanese literary culture, bunshō dokuhon refers to handbooks or essays on how to write effective prose. Below are key titles and how this genre is positioned.

Key Titles

  1. Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, Bunshō Dokuhon (1934)

    • Explores “beautiful Japanese” by comparing classical and modern styles; written as essayistic criticism.
    • Stresses rhythm and sound (prosody) as central to style; often read as a work of stylistics.
    • Cites Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s prose and upholds writing “as natural as breathing” as an ideal.

  2. Yasunari Kawabata, Bunshō Dokuhon (1941)

    • Presents an artist’s view of prose; more abstract and closer to literary theory than Tanizaki’s.
    • Frames style from the stance that “a novelist lives in solitude,” emphasizing sensitivity and inwardness.

  3. Saiichi Maruya, Bunshō Dokuhon (1977)

    • Prioritizes logic and clarity in contemporary Japanese prose.
    • Uses comparisons with English and a humorous tone to explain practical “how‑to” techniques.
    • Highly usable as a craft guide; still a standard reference today.

Positioning of the Genre

  • Features: A craft manual that also functions as literary/cultural criticism.
  • Audience: Students and general readers, as well as aspiring professional writers.
  • Significance: Less about enforcing “correct Japanese” and more about how prose resonates, grounded in writers’ lived practice.

Which One Should You Read?

  • For practical craft: Maruya
  • For aesthetics of style: Tanizaki
  • For meditative, literary reflection: Kawabata

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