MIYAZAWA Kenji\u27s Attitude toward Tokyo

MIYAZAWA Kenji, a Japanese author, created a world which does not have any border line between countries. This world of his, Ihatov, locates in the real world, in Iwate prefecture in Japan, and possesses various kinds of culture and languages.This research focuses on his attitude toward Tokyo. Despite never going abroad, he had much interest in foreign countries. It is certain that he got much information about the world outside Japan through Tokyo.Kenji visited Tokyo more than nine times. During this time, he tried to change his real world for a better one, because it was so hard for him for several reasons. He hoped to get another job and life there, but he was unable to. In other words, he wanted another identity, which led him to create Ihatov. Coincidentally, visiting Tokyo made him think about the differences between cities and rural areas. At first, he was overwhelmed by the modern civilization that the city of Tokyo enjoyed. This was the main reason for his attraction to the city. In the latter half of his Tokyo-visiting days, he became aware of the demerits of modern civilization. At the same time, he discovered the merits of living in Hanamaki, his home town. He changed his attitude toward Tokyo and Hanamaki in this way. That is, Tokyo was the place where he learned something new, and Hanamaki the place where he lived. Visiting or staying in Tokyo was not so important any more. He was able to create another world, and discover a new identity there