Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how Meiji literati comprehended the natural and criminal laws by unfolding the mechanism of Kosugi Tengai's 'Hayari-uta' (1902) in which the voice of a married heroine's adultery is illustrated as an 'urge for the love' that is absurdly a repercussion of the natural law—genes.

Paper long abstract:

Among various moral codes of societies, adultery has always been as a topic of discussion in literature. Japan was no exception; Ihara Saikaku portrayed the tragic suicide and execution of false wives in 'Five Women Who Loved Love (1686)' in the Edo period where illicit intercourse with a married woman was considered a grave offense punishable by the death penalty.

A couple of centuries later in the late 19th century, there was a rediscovery of adultery as 'neta' in modern Japanese literature infused by the Kunikida Doppo and other 'shizenshugi writers' who were enthused by Zola's experimental literature impregnated with the ideas of genetics and environmental determination. Zola's and Maupassant's ideas of genetics, environment determination and their style are reflected into the works of Oguri Fuyo, Nagai Kafu and Kunikida Doppo, especially in context of 'shizenshugi' in Japan, which evolved around the concept of subjective and dark depiction of events, a byproduct of naturalism imported from the continent.

This paper aims to unfold the mechanism of Kosugi Tengai's (1865-1952) 'Hayari-uta' (Popular Songs 1902) in which the 'voice' of a married female protagonist's adultery is illustrated as an 'urge for the love' that is absurdly a repercussion of the natural law—genes. Kosugi's work will lead to understand how Meiji literati comprehended criminal laws—like many other Meiji writers, Kosugi Tengai first enrolled into the law school but dropped out and showed interest in law in his writings—along with their understanding of natural law including genetics, for the purpose of inventing male characters doomed to devastation and of female characters ironically with 'autonomous agencies.'