TŌKYŌ, January, 1900.
MY DEAR OTANI,--I suppose that, when you ask me to express my "approval"
or non-approval of a society for the study of literature, etc., you want
a sincere opinion. My sincere opinion will not please you, I fear, but
you shall have it.
There is now in Japan a mania, an insane mania, for perfectly useless
organizations of every description. Societies are being formed by
hundreds, with all kinds of avowed objects, and dissolved as fast as
they are made. It is a madness that will pass--like many other mad
fashions; but it is doing incomparable mischief. The avowed objects of
these societies is to do something useful; the real object is simply to
waste time in talking, eating, and drinking. The knowledge of the value
of time has not yet even been dreamed of in this country.
The study of literature or art is never accompanied by societies of
this kind. The study of literature and of art requires and depends upon
individual effort, and original thinking. The great Japanese who wrote
famous books and painted famous pictures did not need societies to help
them. They worked in solitude and silence.
No good literary work can come out of a society--no original work, at
least. Social organization is essentially opposed to individual effort,
to original effort, to original thinking, to original feeling. A society
for the study of literature means a society organized so as to render
the study of literature, or the production of literature, absolutely
impossible.
A literary society is a proof of weakness--not a combination of force.
The strong worker and thinker works and thinks by himself. He does not
want help or sympathy or company. His pleasure in the work is enough. No
great work ever came out of a literary society,--no great original work.
A literary society, for the purpose of studying literature, is utterly
useless. The library is a better place for the study of literature. The
best of all places is the solitude of one's own room.
I should not say anything against a society organized for the
translation and publication of the whole of Shakespeare's plays,--for
example. But translation is a practical matter--not original work, nor
even literary study in the highest sense.
Even in the matter of making a dictionary, no society, however, can
equal the work of the solitary scholar. The whole French Academy could
not produce a dictionary such as Littré produced by himself.
I have said that I think these Japanese societies mean a mischievous
waste of time. Think of the young scholars who go from Japan to Europe
for higher study. They are trained by the most learned professors in
the world,--they are prepared in every way to become creators, original
thinkers, literary producers. And when they return to Japan, instead
of being encouraged to work, they are asked to waste their time in
societies, to attend banquets, to edit magazines, to deliver addresses,
to give lectures free of charge, to correct manuscripts, to do
everything which can possibly be imagined to prevent them from working.
They cannot do anything; they are not allowed to do anything; their
learning and their lives are made barren. They are treated, not like
human beings with rights, but like machines to be used, and brutally
used, and worn out as soon as possible.
While this rage for wasting time in societies goes on there will be no
new Japanese literature, no new drama, no new poetry--nothing good of
any kind. Production will be made impossible and only the commonplace
translation of foreign ideas. The meaning of time, the meaning of work,
the sacredness of literature are unknown to this generation.
And what is the use of founding a new journal? There are too many
journals now. You can publish whatever you want without founding a
journal. If you found a journal, you will be obliged to write for it
quickly and badly; and you know that good literary work cannot be
done quickly,--cannot be made to order within a fixed time. A new
journal--unless you choose to be a journalist, and nothing but a
journalist--would mean not only waste of time, but waste of money.
I am speaking in this way, because I think that literature is a very
serious and sacred thing--not an amusement, not a thing to trifle and
play with.
Handicapped as you now are,--with an enormous number of
class-hours,--you cannot attempt any literature work at all, without
risking your health and injuring your brains. It is much more important
that you should try to get a position allowing you more leisure.
And finally, I have small sympathy with the mere study of English
literature by Japanese students and scholars. I should infinitely prefer
to hear of new studies in Japanese literature. Except with the sole
purpose of making a new _Japanese_ literature, I do not sympathize with
English or French or German studies.
There is my opinion for you. I hope you will think about it,--even if
you do not like it. Work with a crowd, and you will _never_ do anything
great.
Many years ago, I advised you to take up a scientific study. It would
have given you more leisure for literary work. You would not. You will
have future reason to regret this. But if you want advice again, here it
is: _Don't_ belong to societies, _don't_ write anything that comes into
your head, _don't_ waste the poor little time you have. Take literature
seriously,--or leave it alone.
Yours very truly,
Y. KOIZUMI.