Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 368 A Lesson in Japanese Literature

Zhang Chao was outside the venue listening to Wang Zhenxu introducing all the talents entering the venue with a satisfied smile.

When he participated in the "Tokyo in World Literature" event before, he heard the organizer introduce him as the "writer of the empire". He felt so embarrassed that he could dig out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes. He wanted everyone to experience this.

He had spent most of the night thinking about these flower names and introductions, and he also used threats and inducements on Wang Zhenxu throughout the night.

Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, Zhang Chao walked through the crowd and came to the podium. At this time, Wang Zhenxu had already stepped aside tactfully, leaving the stage entirely to Zhang Chao.

Zhang Chao looked around the entire venue. In addition to readers, there were also many media reporters.

After all, he is now considered a "star" in Japan, especially in Tokyo, and his every move will be reported in the newspapers.

Seeing their idol standing under the spotlight again, many young female readers began to scream, and cheering banners and light signs were put up, creating a lively scene.

Zhang Chao did not stop it, but waited quietly for a few minutes until the noise gradually subsided.

At this time, he slowly said, "Thank you everyone! Today will be my last day in Japan. Tonight, I will take a plane back to China. It is my honor to meet my readers before leaving!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a cry of surprise from the delegation members behind him, including the team leader Zou Guangming, all of them were very surprised.

Zhang Chao did not tell anyone about his decision.

Zou Guangming frowned and looked at Professor Iizuka Rong beside him. Both of them could see from each other's eyes that Zhang Chao really did not tell anyone.

Does that mean Zhang Chao will no longer participate in the rest of the trip?

Both of them felt the pressure. Zou Guangming even took out his cell phone and immediately sent a text message to Tie Ning, Wang Meng and others in China about the matter.

Zhang Chao knew what was happening behind him without even looking, but he remained unmoved. After Wang Zhenxu translated these words, it was the readers and reporters' turn to exclaim.

Everyone thought that Zhang Chao would stay for at least another week or two, not only because of the Sino-Japanese literary exchange activities, but also because he is almost the hottest literary star in Japan now.

As long as he takes a few interviews and announcements, he can earn a lot of appearance fees.

It is said that magazines such as Bungeishunju have offered Zhang Chao a sky-high fee of 10 yen per page of manuscript paper to invite him to write articles. They will accept any payment Zhang Chao may write.

The appearance fee offered by the TV station reached 300 million yen, which is higher than the highest-paid male star in Japan.

Combined with the book sales boosted by signing events in various places, if Zhang Chao was a little more shameless and stayed in Japan for a month, it would probably not be a problem for him to earn 1 million yen.

But he was leaving like this...

Zhang Chao waited until the exclamations and discussions calmed down a bit before continuing, "To some extent, wherever I go, I always have questions. Once the questions are answered, it's time to leave."

This sentence attracted everyone's attention. A reporter in the front row couldn't help but ask: "So what problem did you come to Japan with?"

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "How many copies of my new novel can I sell?"

The audience burst into laughter. It was obvious that Zhang Chao was joking, but it was also quite consistent with his recent behavior. After the Ishihara incident, his new novel was bound to be a big hit.

Seeing that the atmosphere was gradually getting right, Zhang Chao spoke out his answer: "In the past, the whole world, including China, and myself, believed that Japanese literature far surpassed Chinese literature and stood at the top of Asia.

Mr. Wang Zhenxu, who translated for me today—" Zhang Chao turned and pointed at Wang Zhenxu, "once said a famous saying, "Japan is the highest peak of modern Asian literature. Only by conquering this highest peak can we conquer Asia; and only by conquering this highest peak can we enter the world."

Brother Zhenxu, am I right?"

Wang Zhenxu, who was listening to this, wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but he could only bite the bullet and translate these words verbatim.

The young writers behind Zhang Chao felt much more balanced. It turned out that Zhang Chao had spared no one this time and was determined to carry out social death to the end.

Sure enough, the readers and reporters at the scene burst into laughter after hearing this, and all looked at Wang Zhenxu with a mischievous look as he stood one step behind Zhang Chao with the microphone in his hand.

At this time, his mentor, Professor Iizuka Rong, whispered to him, "Zhang Chao-san is helping you. You should thank him later."

Wang Zhenxu suddenly realized what was going on and quickly calmed down. He had won a mystery novel award before, but there were so many such awards in Japan every year that they were soon forgotten.

But through Zhang Chao's teasing, he was able to return to the center of attention of the media and readers.

For the extremely competitive Japanese mystery circle, even a little bit of spotlight is worth a fortune - it could mean a new publishing contract.

Zhang Chao continued: "I have been to Japan before, but I always came and left in a hurry, and never had the opportunity to deeply explore the cultural background of Japan and touch the cultural pulse of Japan.

So I have always had a question in my mind: why is Japanese literature so excellent? "

Zhang Chao finally raised the question.

And this question greatly satisfied the vanity of the Japanese media on the scene - although Zhang Chao was the most dazzling literary star, he still had to admit the excellence of Japanese literature!

Many journalists have already thought of the headlines for tomorrow's newspapers:
"Chinese Boy" Worships Japanese Literature!

Zhang Chao's Dream of Japanese Literature

Zhang Chao: Japanese literature is the Mount Everest of Asian literature

"Zhang Chao conquered Tokyo, and Japanese literature conquered Zhang Chao"

……

However, many people in the Chinese delegation behind him became uneasy after hearing this.

As a representative of young Chinese writers, Zhang Chao can argue with both Americans and Europeans and shows strong ability to withstand pressure. Why did he bow down when he came to Japan?

Someone immediately wanted to remind Zhang Chao, but "The Time-Space Twisted Mechanic" and "The Apocalypse of Steel and Ice" played a stabilizing role at this moment. With their comfort, everyone finally came to their senses:
This kid must be up to no good!

Zhang Chao looked calm and continued, "Today, I finally know the answer to this question - the reason why Japanese literature is so excellent is that many Japanese writers are willing to turn their works into a solidified landscape, an exquisite specimen, or a delicious roll of sushi."

"Hiss~~~" Zhang Chao's words faded the excitement of the media reporters. They began to be confused, not knowing what this Chinese man would say next - but no matter what he said, it would not sound so good to the Japanese. Zhang Chao continued: "To explain this issue clearly, we must look back to the 19th century, to the time when Japan 'broke out of Asia and went to the world'.

In 1853, Perry's fleet sailed into Edo Bay and used force to force Japan to "open up its country." Fifteen years later, the Meiji Restoration kicked off Japan's complete Westernization.

In his Escaping from Asia theory, Fukuzawa Yukichi declared that Japan would "break off relations with its evil friends in Asia". This declaration of cultural rupture not only put Japan on the path of modernization, but also opened Pandora's box.

Twenty years later, when Futabatei Shimei launched the "unity of speech and writing" movement, he might not have realized that this movement was not only an innovation in literary form, but also a foreshadowing that the Japanese intellectual community would internalize Western standards as a criterion for self-examination.

Japanese writers of this era were eager to reshape Japanese society into the mold of European novels, and wrote one flavorful work after another - "Golden Nightshade", "Floating Clouds", "Modong Qitan"...

Just like what Nagai Kafu, the author of "Motoya no Kitsune", said in his diary, "Japan must be portrayed as the dream lover of Westerners."

This sentence fell into the ears of the audience, and it caused another uproar. The readers at the scene were mostly young people, and the reporter was not a professor familiar with literary history, so naturally he had never heard of this sentence that hurt the self-esteem of the Japanese nation.

Some people wanted to stand up and question, but after thinking about it, they resisted the urge. After all, given Zhang Chao's status, it was unlikely that he would make up such a statement. If he took the opportunity to make use of the topic, it would be even more embarrassing.

Zhang Chao has proven countless times that he has this ability.

The young Chinese writers also felt relieved, exchanged glances of "as expected" with each other, and began to watch the show patiently.

Zhang Chao said, "So the former governor Ishihara's mistress theory is not without basis. Of course, not all Japanese writers are unaware of this.

Natsume Soseki once reminded everyone in a joking tone in "I Am a Cat", and later warned in "On Literature" that this is a kind of "cultural performance syndrome".

So when Mr. Kenzaburo Oe painfully questioned the post-war responsibility in "Hiroshima Notes", another group of writers were packaging the Hiroshima atomic bomb into a "Black Rain"-style spectacle of suffering.

Fortunately, Japan has acquired a more "advanced" literary gene and no longer has to struggle with the balance between tradition and modernity, as Chinese writers have done for more than 100 years. It has finally become the pinnacle of Asian literature.

Unfortunately, after Japanese literature was injected with "European genes" or "American genes", samurai swords, chrysanthemums, ninjas, tea ceremonies, dry landscapes, castle towers, cherry blossoms, kimonos, sumo... all became external decorations. In other words -

It is the sexy pajamas, feather eye masks, eye shadow and lipstick worn by the 'mistress' or 'dream lover', and is an imaginary collection of the 'harmless East'.

By the second half of the 20th century, the situation had become even more serious - the "Nobel Prize in Literature", with its huge honor and profit temptations, swept the world and became one of the most important value weapons in the "Cold War" and "Post-Cold War" eras. Japan and China were no exception and were one of its targets.

In 1968, Yasunari Kawabata declared in Stockholm, "I am an orphan of Japanese tradition." However, in the English-speaking world, his Snow Country was simply simplified into an oriental painting like Ukiyo-e, and the anxiety of modernity contained in the text was deliberately ignored.

Yukio Mishima's tragedy is even more symbolic. When "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" was interpreted in the West as a literary footnote to "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword", the author himself was destroyed due to the tearing of his cultural identity.

But all this could not stop generation after generation of Eastern writers from following this path and trying to get close to the award - even though winners such as Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburo Oe had warned of the dangers of doing so.

These people do not realize that the more carefully they construct a cultural landscape, the more they expose the emptiness of subjectivity. The popularity of Japanese novels in Europe and the United States is essentially because Western readers enjoy a slightly exotic reading experience within a familiar narrative framework.

Zhang Chao paused. He knew that the audience - both Japanese and Chinese - would need to digest what he said.

A Japanese reporter who couldn't accept it suddenly stood up and almost shouted: "You... you are talking nonsense! Japanese literature stands out in the world because of the unique aesthetics and national characteristics of the Yamato people.

All countries are absorbing foreign cultures. We are doing it, and you are doing it. Only the most uncivilized barbarians will resist communicating with the world.

You are just using your eloquence to confuse right and wrong."

The reporter's words aroused widespread approval, and many colleagues gave him a thumbs up.

Zhang Chao's face remained calm, as if he had known that someone would refute him like this. He waited patiently for the other party to finish speaking, and then asked him, "Have you ever participated in or reported on the "Black Ship Festival" held every year in Yokosuka?"

The reporter was stunned for a moment, and then his expression became extremely wonderful. Reluctance, anger, grievance, confusion... all appeared on his face at the same time. Even the best actor could not be so wonderful.

Many young Japanese people looked confused and at a loss. Many of them actually didn't know about it, or had participated in the "Black Ship Festival", but this was the first time they heard about it.

Zhang Chao's tone did not change, as calm as a judge reading out a verdict: "The establishment of the "Black Ship Festival" was to commemorate the commander of the United States East India Fleet, Perry, who in 1853 used force to force Japan to change its policy of isolation that had lasted for two hundred years.

There is still a statue of Perry standing in the port of Yokosuka, as well as a stone tablet handwritten by Hirobumi Ito, which reads "Monument to the Landing of Admiral Perry of the United States Navy."

Along with the statue and the monument, there is also a park named after Perry. Every year, there is an organized "founding commemoration event" called the "Black Ship Festival", am I right? "

The scene was eerily quiet, and the hustle and bustle of traffic downstairs seemed to come from another time and space.

Zhang Chao looked around at everyone again and said, "During the 'Black Ship Festival', the Japanese will play the invaders of that time - the American Navy sailors - as heroes, and the shogunate army of that time as clowns to make fun of.

This event is to thank Matthew Perry for promoting Japan's modernization, ending the shogunate rule, and embarking on the path of enriching the country and strengthening the military. In addition to the parade, there will be fireworks and sweeping of American military cemeteries, and even a simulation of the signing of the Japan-US Treaty of Amity at that time. The scale is very grand.

I am right about these, right?"

The scene was still eerily quiet. Suddenly, someone swallowed, and the sound was clearly heard by everyone.

Zhang Chao's voice suddenly became sonorous, as if metal was knocking on his vocal cords: "The Black Ship Festival is a Japanese celebration. As a Chinese, I have no intention of judging whether it is right or wrong.

I just want to say that in China, it is absolutely impossible to hold celebrations on the days of the "Opium War", "Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895", "Burning of the Old Summer Palace" and "Xin Chou Treaty".

Even though these failures objectively accelerated the collapse of China's last feudal empire, they played a vital role in China's path to modernization.

But shame is shame, regardless of ancient, modern or contemporary times. The face of the ruling class is certainly irrelevant, but the blood shed by ordinary people cannot be stained.

Therefore, if you understand the "Black Ship Festival", you will understand why Japanese literature is so excellent.

When you voluntarily choose to give up all your dignity, they will certainly not hesitate to give you the highest praise!

Why do I bring so many young Chinese writers here to meet you? Not only because there is an activity called "Contemporary Chinese Literature in Japan", but more importantly, I want to remind all readers -

I and we have completely different qualities from Japanese literature. We are neither a landscape to be gazed at in the Western perspective, nor followers chasing after Japan.

We have to go our own way!"

(End of this chapter)