The Process of Shanghai Becoming “Far Away” in Shanghai by Hayashi Kyoko

Abstract

In her novel Shanghai, the titular city seems to have become psychologically distant from Hayashi Kyoko. This paper analyzes the continuity of life in Shanghai in the post-war period, focusing on the issue of occupied territories that has not received much attention to this point in the studies on Shanghai. Through the prism of post-colonialism, this paper examines the causes of “Shanghai becoming far away” in terms of the remaining sense of control people felt over their lives, the impact of the border crossers from occupied territories, and the tensions within the discourse on the experience of the war. The paper starts with a brief introduction to the author Hayashi Kyoko and her novel Shanghai, and theories of post-colonialism. Second, it clarifies how Hayashi expresses her sense of both control and guilt by describing her preparations before leaving for Shanghai. Next, this paper analyzes how Hayashi describes and views the border crossers produced by Japanese colonialism. Finally, it analyzes the problem of discussing the experience of the war in the novel, as the “I” expresses Hayashi’s own experience, but there is no confidence in its delivery of the truth. This paper explores the reasons for Shanghai becoming “far away” from Hayashi and how the legacy of the occupation is expressed in the novel.