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Faculty of Literature and Social Sciences

Discovering Unknown Words

Takashi Morioka
Associate Professor
Department of Human Sciences and Cultural Studies
Faculty of Literature and Social Sciences


Editing the text of the Kettei-ban Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Zenshu (Definitive Complete Works of Jun'ichiro Tanizaki) after word-for-word comparisons of handwritten manuscripts, original magazines of publication and revised variants

Toward New Literary Histories

To be open to the unknown without prejudice or concern for interests - if the essence of intellectual demeanor can be thought of in this way, then the words contained in all literary works should be approached and read as the unknown. The assumption that the words can be understood on one reading should be abandoned. Instead, one should take all elements - such as the social discourses of that age and cultural traditions and transformations - into consideration to uncover the nature of the work. The theme of my research is to rewrite the history of modern Japanese literature while repeatedly carrying out such activities.


Seminar-based graduation thesis supervision


Giving back to the regional community the results of research related to local literature and cultures through the selection of the recipients of local literary awards and issuance of textbooks intended for beginners

Rewriting Both Tanizaki and Unknown Authors

Publication of the Kettei-ban Tanizaki Jun'ichiro Zenshu (Definitive Complete Works of Jun'ichiro Tanizaki) began this year. I am participating in this attempt to utilize various materials to rewrite the big picture of Tanizaki's literary works.
It is not only the renowned authors whose places in literary history should be reconsidered. Even the literary works of Yamagata Prefecture—which has in the past been called a wasteland of modern literature—should show a new, dynamic figure once they are released from the biased view of literary history that favors the central (i.e. Tokyo) literary circle. In Tohoku Kindai Bungaku Jiten (Dictionary of Modern Tohoku Literature), for which I was an editor and coauthor, we created a blueprint for this while unearthing authors and works from the Tohoku region.
As a researcher affiliated with a university of the region, I also place importance on the utilization of the results of such research in today's literature as well as in works of the future. I am involved in the region's cultural activities through various opportunities presented my way, such as giving lectures at various facilities and selecting works for local literary awards.