Political novel

Literature intended to enlighten political thought in the 1870s. Its rise and fall roughly coincides with the trends of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement, from the rise of the petition movement for the establishment of a national Diet in 1880 (Meiji 13) to the convening of the first Imperial Diet in 1889. The earliest work is considered to be Toda Kindō's "Minken Engi Jōkai Haran" (1880), but considering that Sakura Sogoro is praised as a pioneer of the civil rights movement in a play-within-a-play scene, works such as Komuro Angaidō's "Toyo Minken Hyakukaden" (1883), which unearth the legends of righteous people, could also be placed in this genre. However, "Minken Engi Jyo Kaiharan" imitated the style of early modern gesaku (comic novels about human feelings) and was merely an allegorical novel in which a young businessman named Wakuniya Tamji and a geisha named Oken are united at a banquet in both countries with the help of Kokufu Masafumi (the people and civil rights are united in the Diet with the help of the government), but the majority of political novels were unable to escape this kind of schematic structure.

Among these, Yano Ryukei's "The Beautiful Tales of Famous Men Who Ruled the Nation" (1883-84) was well received for its attempt to portray a new type of human being based on the historical facts of ancient Greece. Tokai Sanshi's "The Strange Encounter of a Beautiful Woman" (1885-87, 88, 91, 97) portrayed international solidarity between a revolutionary exile from a nation invaded by Western powers and a Japanese patriot, and, combined with its stately writing style in readings of classical Chinese texts, was enthusiastically welcomed by the young people of the time. The sense of international crisis gave rise to the idea of ​​expanding national sovereignty abroad, and this resulted in works such as Komiyama Tenko's "Adventure Enterprise Rento Daiou" (1887-88), a work depicting an adventurous businessman, and Yano Ryukei's "Hochi Ibun Ukishiro Monogatari" (1890), a work depicting adventurers who give up Japanese nationality for the ideal of liberating Asia and establishing a new republic. On the other hand, as the opening of the National Diet drew near, works such as Suehiro Tetcho's "Plums in the Snow: A Political Novel" (1886), which aimed to draw readers' attention to reality, and Sudo Nansui's "Living the Life of a Photographer: A Tale of Green Fish" (1888), which aimed for realism in its writing style and had an excellent understanding of reality, were produced.

[Kamei Hideo]

"Complete Works of Meiji Literature 5 & 6, Meiji Political Novels (1) & (2)" (1966, 67, Chikuma Shobo) " ▽ "Research on Political Novels, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, by Yanagida Izumi (1969, Shunjusha)" ▽ "A Theory of Political Novels, by Matsui Sachiko (1979, Ohfusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治10年代、政治思想の啓発を意図した文学。その消長は、1880年（明治13）の国会開設請願運動の盛り上がりから、89年の第1回帝国議会召集に至る自由民権運動の動向とほぼ一致する。もっとも早い作品は戸田欽堂(きんどう)の『民権演義情海波瀾(じょうかいはらん)』（1880）とみられているが、劇中劇である芝居の場面で、佐倉宗五郎が民権運動家の先駆者として賞揚されている点からみれば、小室案外堂(こむろあんがいどう)の『東洋民権百家伝』（1883）のような義民伝承発掘の仕事もこのジャンルのなかに入れることができよう。ただ、『民権演義情海波瀾』は近世戯作(げさく)の人情本の書き方を模倣し、和国屋民次なる青年実業家と芸妓(げいぎ)の阿権(おけん)が国府政文の世話で両国の会席において結ばれる（国民と民権が政府の助けで国会にて結ばれる）、という単純な寓意(ぐうい)小説でしかなかったが、政治小説の大半がこのような図式性を抜け出られなかった。

　そのなかでも矢野龍渓(りゅうけい)の『斉武名士経国(けいこく)美談』（1883～84）は、古代ギリシアの史実に基づき、新しい人間像を描き出そうとした点で好評を博した。東海散士の『佳人之奇遇(かじんのきぐう)』（1885～87、88、91、97）は、西欧列強に侵略された民族の亡命革命家と日本の志士との国際的連帯を描き、漢文訓読体の荘重な文体と相まって、当時の青年に熱狂的に歓迎された。国際的危機感は対外的国権伸長の思想を生み、小宮山天香(てんこう)の『冒険企業聯島(れんとう)大王』（1887～88）という冒険的実業家を描いた作品や、矢野龍渓の『報知異聞浮城(うきしろ)物語』（1890）という、アジアの解放と新共和国樹立の理想のために日本国籍を捨てる冒険家たちを描いた作品が現れてきた。他方、国会開設が近づくにつれて、読者の目を現実に向けさせようとする末広鉄腸(てっちょう)の『政治小説雪中梅(せっちゅうばい)』（1886）や、その書き方もリアリズムを目ざし、現実認識にも優れている須藤南翠(なんすい)の『処世写真緑簑談(りょくさだん)』（1888）などが生まれた。

［亀井秀雄］

『『明治文学全集5・6　明治政治小説集（1）（2）』（1966、67・筑摩書房）』▽『柳田泉著『政治小説研究』上中下（1969・春秋社）』▽『松井幸子著『政治小説の論』（1979・桜楓社）』

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