Reading Beyond the Lines: Young Readers and Wartime Japanese Literature

The war years have been considered a stagnant period in the history of modern Japanese literature. However, examining individual literary texts from the early to mid-1940s with memoirs left by young readers (sho kokumin) proposes a more nuanced look into the state of reading for even the most prescriptive material in wartime Japan. Young readers also exercised poacher-like networking skills and creativity in obtaining more diverse reading material that stimulated their interest during times of general material scarcity. This study seeks to change the perception of wartime Japanese literature through an analysis of these readers’ experiences, interpretations, and actions.