Translating Mount Fuji

"Dennis Washburn traces the changing character of Japanese national identity in the works of six major authors: Ueda Akinari, Natsume Soseki, Mori Ogai, Yokomitsu Riichi, Ooka Shohei, and Mishima Yukio. By focusing on certain interconnected themes, Washburn illuminates the contradictory desires of a nation trapped between emulating the West and preserving the traditions of Asia." "A unique combination of intellectual history and critical literary analysis, Translating Mount Fuji recounts the evolution of a conflict that inspired remarkable literary experimentation and achievement."--BOOK JACKET