The "Shohin"as a Domain of No Genre:A Comprehensive Study of its Dynamics and Cultural History

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The shohin ("small item") is a short prose form that came into existence in the latter half of the Meiji period, alongside the development of the long modern novel, but its many genre-defying characteristics set it apart from the novel and helped it thrive as a unique prose form. Yet there has been virtually no research to date on the shohin. The present study traces the creation and spread of the shohin form, through a literary investigation focusing on magazines. Meanwhile, by uncovering the formal characteristics imparted to it by Kitahara Hakushu, Mizuno Yoshu, and others, this study sheds light on the nature and significance of the shohin.