Paper short abstract:

Through a textual analysis, this paper will explore the way contemporary Japanese female writers like Murata Sayaka and Imamura Natsuko approach different aspects of child abuse in their works by giving voice to traumatized children. Hoochigo and other relevant phenomena will be explained as well.

Paper long abstract:

In 2018, the death of Funato Yua, also known as the "Meguro Ward Child Abuse Case" was widely reported on Japanese media and raised social awareness of the lack of effective child protection structures in Japan. Following this and other tragic child abuse cases, the Japanese Cabinet has recently approved amendments to the current Child Welfare Act and the Child Abuse Prevention Act, such as banning corporal punishment against children by their parents. Also, as the global #metoo movement has reached Japan, victims of sexual abuse have made public appearances, urging society to realize the problem and take steps against sexual harassment in schools, workplaces and other environments.

Literature, on the other hand, has been trying to raise awareness about these issues for a long time. Uchida Shungicu's (b. 1959) semi-autobiographical novel Fazaafakkaa (Fatherfucker, 1993) or Tendo Arata's (b. 1960) novel Eien no ko (The Eternal Child, 1999) from the Heisei Era can be considered as early examples of literature that reveals the urging problem of child abuse in Japanese society.

After giving a brief outline of the history and typology of child abuse in Japanese literature, this paper will explore the way contemporary Japanese female writers such as Murata Sayaka (b.1979) and Imamura Natsuko (b. 1980) approach different aspects of child abuse in their works. I shall argue that narrated by a verbally and physically (sexually) abused woman, Murata's latest novel Chikyuuseijin (Earthlings, 2019) along with some of her earlier works such as Tadaima tobira (A Welcoming Door, 2012) can be considered as attempts to give voice to traumatized children and shed light on both the short and long-term effects of child abuse. Imamura's works such as her debut novel Kochira Amiko (Amiko Here, 2011) and the short story Ahiru (Duck, 2016) will be discussed from the perspective of neglect, a common form of child abuse in Japanese society. Through the analysis of the texts, this paper will also give an explanation on contemporary phenomena such as hoochigo (left-alone-child) or dokuoya (toxic parents) in order to provide a better understanding of the problem of child abuse in Japan.