메이지 시대 괴담집 『怪談會』에 나타난근대 문명과 괴이의 교착 양상

Abstract

Kwaidan of the Meiji period had new aspects derived from the contact to the modern western civilization and under its influence, and spread and was shared through newspapers, magazines, books and the mass media. It holds a key position in the history of Japanese Kwaidan culture in that it has different characteristics from old Kwaidan. This study aimed to speculate on the establishment process of “Kwaidankai”, a Kwaidan collection which was published in 1909 by examining activities of ‘Izumi Kyoka’ and the Kwaidan society titled <Kyokakai>, and specific aspects of the Kwaidan which was made due to complex differences with modern civilization. In stories of the “Kwaidankai”, strange phenomena which had directly appeared in front of the experienced before the modern times were introduced along with new products of rickshaws, phones and lamps. Strange phenomena which were considered to appear by supernatural beings have been reinterpreted as modern stories of spirit experiences such as telepathy or dreams caused by mental action of humans as spiritualism of the West was introduced in the Meiji period. New Kwaidan appeared when modern products were mixed with strangeness that had existed from the old times. In other words, modern Kwaidan of the Meiji period is characterized by the followings: Traditional strangeness which had existed from the old times had modern aspects in its appearance and interpretation.