MIYAZAWA'S MAGIC

Kenji Miyazawa might have been a Japanese writer but John Bester has rightly described him as "an author with a universal appeal". Miyazawa’s works have given me an insight into his uniqueness and literary prowess. His writings are imbued with a deep understanding of the myriad of human emotions and their hidden complexities. I aim to address the commonality in his four works and establish the fact that his writings have a sense of universality, as stated by John Bester.

 It takes a great writer to demystify human behaviour while using simple language and even a simpler storyline. One can find this trait of a profound simplicity in Miyazawa's works.

 

A story like ‘The Earthgod and The Fox’ presents a holistic concoction of the otherworldly elements and the world reality. There lies a smooth transition between the world that is and the fictional setup in a way that the deeper essence of his story remains uncompromised. Even though the characters of the story are non-humans they successfully portray the vulnerabilities encountered by a human being.

 It is this acknowledgement of the slew of human emotions such as love, jealousy, pretence, competition, hatred, anger etc. that makes this story universal and relatable to the readers across borders. Even though the story contains supernatural touch, the author doesn’t promise his readers an idealistic ending. This shift in his writing from surrealism to realism reflects his ability to create a balance between fantasy and reality. The story addresses the grotesque reality of the world and leaves its readers with a very old yet important question, that is, whether everything is fair in love and war. Miyazawa takes no moral side by addressing the right or the wrong but leaves it on his readers to answer the ethical dilemma by themselves.

 

In the story ‘The Restaurant of Many Orders’ he delivers a simple yet powerful message against cruelty and violence by using the elements of mystery and surrealism. Rather than centring his story around supernatural elements, he uses such elements to deliver a moral message. Such use of fictional set-ups and mystical elements to deliver a message reflects his prowess as a writer with an ‘undying commitment towards the universal truths of life. The natural elements and the use of onomatopoeia help in not only giving his work a refined identity but also providing fluidity to his story. The exclusive details of each door through which the two men walk and the mysterious name of the story reflect his ability to grasp the attention of the readers till the end.

 ‘Ozbel and the Elephant’ is yet another story by him that reflects the greed laden tendencies of a human being. It is a short story with a subtle moral message. The story is a true reflection of the existing power structures in society. The power-hungry Ozbel leaves no chance to use the innocence of the elephant for his profit. Ozbel is a greedy, money minded and emotionless being who could use anyone to meet his ends. The story is a comment on human nature and its limitless craving to acquire money and power. At times people are so blinded to reach their ends that they do not hesitate in compromising with the means that they choose. 

 This compromising situation in which Miyazawa’s characters find themselves is the defining feature of his writings. Be it the two hunters who choose the act of violence or the Earthgod blinded by the feeling of jealousy or the Ozbel who inflicts pain and violence upon the innocent elephant.

 Lastly, his powerful poem ‘Ame ni mo makezu’ remains a force to reckon with. This poetry carries the potential to reinvigorate the spirits of his readers and motivate them to march forward towards a fruitful, fulfilling and simple life. The essence of the poetry is no different from that of his previously mentioned stories. Miyazawa aims to instil the reader with the feeling of invincibility and yet wants the reader to know that simplicity is the key to a fulfilling life. This grounded approach and his ability to demystify the essence of a human being remains his powerful tool.

 He succeeds in peeling off the veil of pretence and diagnoses the plethora of emotions that human beings carry. He manages to blur the lines between nature and culture and ultimately ‘pens down a raw account of life’. His stories are a fine balance of the rational and emotional elements thus establishing him as a writer with a universal appeal.

 Even though his stories are rich in their ethical messages he leaves it on the readers to conclude the matters of right and wrong. This openness in his stories’ ending demarcates his ability to appreciate the multiple realities of the world rather than arriving at an absolute judgement. This tendency to accept the multiplicity of reality is one of the essential features in some eastern schools of philosophy. His writings are not only the literary accounts of human life but are also a testimony to Miyazawa’s philosophical bent of mind. It will not be an overstatement to call his literary works a mirror of the multidimensionality of life and the people, serving to the readers ‘the life as it is. Hence, his work remains universal, timeless and worthy of being celebrated across the borders.

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