Michihiro Ama is Karashima Tsukasa Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture at the University of Montana. He is the author of Immigrants to the Pure Land: The Modernization, Acculturation, and Globalization of Shin Buddhism, 1898–1941.

"This book will be welcomed by anyone interested in the spiritual sources of modern Japanese literature, and in particular, the profound influence Buddhism continued to exert on that literature in the early twentieth century, despite the mounting incursions from the Judeo-Christian West … [an] excellent study, which no doubt will encourage further research in this fascinating but rather neglected area." — The Eastern Buddhist"One of the major contributions of Ama's work, then, has to do with insisting on whole fabric rather than rent cloth. In other words, The Awakening of Modern Japanese Fiction is part of a larger academic move to see modern Japanese literature not as emerging (only) out of a complete rupture with premodern concerns and conditions but as (also) bearing important threads of continuity." — Journal of Japanese Studies"Ama's fascinating, innovative book presents the work of modern Japanese literary writers as Buddhist practice and revisits the idea of confession in Japanese literature, revealing the influence not of Christianity, as previous scholars have suggested, but of Shin Buddhism." — CHOICE

• AcknowledgmentsNotes about Japanese NamesIntroduction1. A Disciplinary Divide and the Conceptual Framework of the Present StudyPart I: Writing Personal Fiction as a Confessional and Religious Practice 2. Modern Japanese Writers as Lay Buddhist Practitioners3. Ari no mama as Literary and Buddhist Discourse4. Shin Buddhist Confession and Literary Practice5. A Shin Buddhist Historical NovelPart II: The Buddhist Reading of Personal Fiction 6. Buddhist Words and Buddhist Symbols in Personal Novels7. Buddhist Attainment and Mystical Experience8. Literary Representations of Buddhist FuneralsConclusionAppendix 1: Translation of the Preface to Before and after My Rebirth by Akegarasu HayaAppendix 2: Translation of the Preface to Guardians of the Dharma Castle by Matsuoka YuzuruNotesBibliographyIndex

Michihiro Ama is Karashima Tsukasa Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture at the University of Montana. He is the author of Immigrants to the Pure Land: The Modernization, Acculturation, and Globalization of Shin Buddhism, 1898–1941.

"This book will be welcomed by anyone interested in the spiritual sources of modern Japanese literature, and in particular, the profound influence Buddhism continued to exert on that literature in the early twentieth century, despite the mounting incursions from the Judeo-Christian West … [an] excellent study, which no doubt will encourage further research in this fascinating but rather neglected area." — The Eastern Buddhist"One of the major contributions of Ama's work, then, has to do with insisting on whole fabric rather than rent cloth. In other words, The Awakening of Modern Japanese Fiction is part of a larger academic move to see modern Japanese literature not as emerging (only) out of a complete rupture with premodern concerns and conditions but as (also) bearing important threads of continuity." — Journal of Japanese Studies"Ama's fascinating, innovative book presents the work of modern Japanese literary writers as Buddhist practice and revisits the idea of confession in Japanese literature, revealing the influence not of Christianity, as previous scholars have suggested, but of Shin Buddhism." — CHOICE

• AcknowledgmentsNotes about Japanese NamesIntroduction1. A Disciplinary Divide and the Conceptual Framework of the Present StudyPart I: Writing Personal Fiction as a Confessional and Religious Practice 2. Modern Japanese Writers as Lay Buddhist Practitioners3. Ari no mama as Literary and Buddhist Discourse4. Shin Buddhist Confession and Literary Practice5. A Shin Buddhist Historical NovelPart II: The Buddhist Reading of Personal Fiction 6. Buddhist Words and Buddhist Symbols in Personal Novels7. Buddhist Attainment and Mystical Experience8. Literary Representations of Buddhist FuneralsConclusionAppendix 1: Translation of the Preface to Before and after My Rebirth by Akegarasu HayaAppendix 2: Translation of the Preface to Guardians of the Dharma Castle by Matsuoka YuzuruNotesBibliographyIndex

Michihiro Ama is Karashima Tsukasa Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture at the University of Montana. He is the author of Immigrants to the Pure Land: The Modernization, Acculturation, and Globalization of Shin Buddhism, 1898–1941.

"This book will be welcomed by anyone interested in the spiritual sources of modern Japanese literature, and in particular, the profound influence Buddhism continued to exert on that literature in the early twentieth century, despite the mounting incursions from the Judeo-Christian West … [an] excellent study, which no doubt will encourage further research in this fascinating but rather neglected area." — The Eastern Buddhist"One of the major contributions of Ama's work, then, has to do with insisting on whole fabric rather than rent cloth. In other words, The Awakening of Modern Japanese Fiction is part of a larger academic move to see modern Japanese literature not as emerging (only) out of a complete rupture with premodern concerns and conditions but as (also) bearing important threads of continuity." — Journal of Japanese Studies"Ama's fascinating, innovative book presents the work of modern Japanese literary writers as Buddhist practice and revisits the idea of confession in Japanese literature, revealing the influence not of Christianity, as previous scholars have suggested, but of Shin Buddhism." — CHOICE

• AcknowledgmentsNotes about Japanese NamesIntroduction1. A Disciplinary Divide and the Conceptual Framework of the Present StudyPart I: Writing Personal Fiction as a Confessional and Religious Practice 2. Modern Japanese Writers as Lay Buddhist Practitioners3. Ari no mama as Literary and Buddhist Discourse4. Shin Buddhist Confession and Literary Practice5. A Shin Buddhist Historical NovelPart II: The Buddhist Reading of Personal Fiction 6. Buddhist Words and Buddhist Symbols in Personal Novels7. Buddhist Attainment and Mystical Experience8. Literary Representations of Buddhist FuneralsConclusionAppendix 1: Translation of the Preface to Before and after My Rebirth by Akegarasu HayaAppendix 2: Translation of the Preface to Guardians of the Dharma Castle by Matsuoka YuzuruNotesBibliographyIndex