Subject: A Reflecting Mirror of Japan’s High-Growth Period: ‘Dialects’ and‘Standard Language’ in Suna no Utsuwa
Speaker: TANAKA Yukari, Professor, Nihon University, Japan
Translator: KASHIMA Takumi

Suna no Utsuwa is a serialized novel by Matsumoto Seicho that made its
debut in the evening edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun, also marking his debut
in a national newspaper.

It is a mystery story that revolves around thepresence of similar linguistic features in distant regions, a well-known
phenomenon in dialect research, which is used as a tool for misdirection inthe mystery genre.
The crux of the mystery centers on the creation of misleading impressions
and is encapsulated in the testimony that the individuals associated with themurder at Kamata Station were speaking in ‘a dialect resembling the Zu-zudialect.’ Kamata Station is situated in Tokyo, and since Tokyo falls within
the Eastern Japanese dialect region, the mention of the Zu-zu dialect within
the story initially invokes the dialect stereotype of the Tohoku region.
However, while there are similarities between the Tohoku dialect and theUmpaku dialect, differences exist.

In this context, we will delve into how

Matsumoto Seicho depicted the linguistic characteristics attributed to thedialogue of the characters in the story and whether they align with the real
distribution of dialects and their linguistic features.
Firstly, the victim, Miki Kenichi, is portrayed as a character who speaks ina dialect resembling the Tohoku accent. Witnesses reported to the policethat his speech had ‘an accent that is not typical of the Tokyo dialect,’ andthey believed he was from Tohoku.

They also noted the frequent use ofvoiced sounds in his speech. However, we cannot confirm the accent fromwritten text alone. Nevertheless, certain features resembling the ‘Tohoku
accent’ can be observed in Miki’s dialogue.

In standard Japanese

pronunciation, "ureshii" is written in kana as /uresui/（嬉スい）" so the Zu-zu
accent is expressed in this dialogue. On the other hand, the phenomenon ofvoicing in the word cannot be confirmed from this dialogue. This is because/koto/ （嬉スいこと）should be written in kana as /goto/（嬉スいごと） if voicelessconsonants were voiced in the word.
If we closely examine the linguistic features present in Miki’s dialogue, itbecomes evident that Miki’s dialect is not actually the Tohoku dialect but is,

in fact, the Umpaku dialect.

However, the witnesses are led to believe that

Miki’s speech has ‘a noticeable use of voiced sounds.’ This is a deliberate
misdirection by Matsumoto Seicho, as he intentionally sets up a misleadingreference to the Tohoku dialect. Those well-versed in dialects could haveearly on confirmed the true dialect by carefully analyzing Miki’s dialogue,
making it a mechanism for an ‘answer check’ right here.
The early 1960s, when Suna no Utsuwa was written, coincided with theestablishment of the foundation of modern dialect studies and the widespreaddissemination of its findings.

It is highly likely that Suna no Utsuwa waswritten while incorporating the results of the new dialect research that wasbeing published one after another during that period.

While Matsumoto

Seicho was originally a novelist with an interest in dialects, it is essential tonote the background of incorporating dialect-based misdirection tools in Sunano Utsuwa.

This period also corresponds to Japan’s high-growth period,

which heightened dialect consciousness within Japanese society.
significant aspect that should not be overlooked.

This is aWhen analyzing the trend

in the number of articles related to ‘dialect’ in five-year increments using the“Newspaper Articles Database on Language” from the National Institute forJapanese Language and Linguistics, it becomes evident that the number ofreported events related to ‘dialect’ saw a rapid and substantial increase from1965 to 1969. This increase coincided with the late period of Japan’s highgrowth period.

In terms of content, numerous articles and letters related to‘dialect suicide’ and ‘dialect murder’ emerged, indicating this was a periodcharacterized by the stigma of dialects.
On the other hand, during this period, there was a growing trend where
dialects began to be assigned to major characters in serialized newspaper
novels. This suggests that Suna no Utsuwa can be reconsidered as one ofthe ‘dialect newspaper serial novels’ that reflected the dialect consciousnessof Japan’s high-growth period.
In Suna no Utsuwa, dialect is used as a stigma for Miki Ken’ichi, who isprivy to the hidden past of Waga Eiryou. In contrast, to hide the stigma,
pseudo- or quasi-standard language is employed for Waga Eiryo, who hadalready altered his own past. During the serialization of the novel, dialects
were skillfully used as symbols of stigmas deeply intertwined with one’s birthand background, something to be ashamed of and concealed.

Suna noUtsuwa can be described as ‘dialect newspaper serial novels’ that reflect thehidden aspects, such as the past or stigmas one may want to conceal, ofJapan’s high-growth period.

It does so by using the unfamiliar Umpaku

dialect, dialectal knowledge not widely known, and dialectal stereotypes from
Eastern Japan.
Duringthisperiod,

otherserialized

newspaper

novelswithmainprotagonists assigned dialects include Shiba Ryotaro’s Ryoma ga Yuku (1962– 1966, Evening edition of the Sankei Shimbun) and Kawabata Yasunari’s

Koto (1961 – 1962, Morning edition of the Asahi Shimbun). The ‘Tosa dialect’in the former is considered a representation of the ‘brightness’ of Japan’s
high-growth period, carrying the aspirations and dreams of one’s homeland.
Meanwhile, in the latter, the ‘Kyoto dialect’ symbolizes the ‘vanishing beauty’of Japan, representing a bygone era.

Subject: The Popularization of Matsumoto Seicho’s Literature through MediaMix – Reception of Suna no Utsuwa in China
Speaker: WANG Cheng, Professor, Tsinghua University, China
Translator: KASHIMA Takumi
There is a 30-year time gap between China’s reform and opening-up period
and Japan’s high-growth period. The Matsumoto Seicho boom that occurred
during Japan’s high-growth period in the 1960s was replicated in China after
the reform and opening-up in 1978.

The success of the movie Suna noUtsuwa in China led to a surge in popularity, and Matsumoto Seicho’s
litereature gained mass appeal through various media formats, including
comic books called lianhuanhua books, translated novels, and dramas.
The Chinese-dubbed version of the movie Suna no Utsuwa was released in
China in 1980 and became a huge success, forming a shared memory for a
specific generation of Chinese people.
With the release of the movie, various reviews of Suna no Utsuwa emerged,
sparking significant discussions among the Chinese audience about how toperceive the film. Some young Chinese viewers watched the movie while
identifying with the character Waga Eiryo. Waga was not merely a character
they have to criticize, but someone from whom they drew life lessons.
During the period when Life Philosophy Discussions were exchanged, therelease of the film Suna no Utsuwa served as a tailwind, facilitating its
penetration into Chinese society.
During that time, the translators of the movie Suna no Utsuwa interpreted
its themes as ‘sympathy for Waga Eiryo’ and ‘the tragedy of youth in acapitalist society.’

They made great efforts to faithfully translate theempathy that scriptwriters Hashimoto Sinobu and Yamada Yoji had towards
Waga Eiryo. This played a significant role in the movie’s popularity.
This research revealed that during the movie’s release, the Chinese script for
Suna no Utsuwa, found in the Japanese Film Drama Book was distributed andused as a textual source of the film. The ‘explanatory notes’ provided in thepublished script had a significant influence on how the Chinese audience
watched Japanese films.
The subsequent section introduces lianhuanhua, which constitutes a variantof Chinese-style comic art. The lianhuanhua adaptation of Suna no Utsuwa
features printed scenes from the movie with explanations in Chineseunderneath. During that time, two different versions of Suna no Utsuwa inlinhuanhua format were published.

One was published by the Tianjin

People’s Film Arts Publishing House in March 1981, with a print run of276,000 copies that quickly sold out. The other was published by the People’sFilm Arts Publishing House in April 1981, with a print run of 780,000 copies.
The script in both versions closely follows the original, comprising 211 scenes.
However, the Tianjin People’s Publishing House version contains 158 scenes,
while the Film Publishing House version has 177 scenes, edited in a manner
like storyboards by the editors.
It has been discovered that these lianhuanhua versions offer different
explanations, even for the same scenes. For example, in the final scene, themovie conveys a form of plea against leprosy discrimination through subtitles,
but the lianhuanhua versions offer distinct interpretations.

In the Film

Publishing House version, below a scene depicting children crafting a sandbowl by the sea, the Chinese text explains that even if Waga Eiryo’s life may
serve as a temporary vessel, like a sand bowl, it will break if blown by thewind and soaked by the rain.

In the version by the Tianjin People’s Fine Arts

Publishing House, there is an explanation beneath a scene depicting aleprosy-afflicted parent and child wandering, stating that Waga Eiryo, who iscontrolled by ‘destiny,’ must be treated.
Following the success of the movie Suna no Utsuwa, there was a rush topublish Matsumoto Seicho’s mysteries throughout China. Mass publication
led to the widespread translation of his works. Notable translations of Sunano Utsuwa include the 1985 translation by Cao Xiulin, translations by Sun
Mingde and others, as well as another translation by Zhao Deyuan in the2000s.

In the 1980s, translations remained faithful to the original works,

while more recent translations have tended to adapt the content to cater to abroader readership, aligning with Matsumoto Seicho image as a master ofSocial Detective Fiction.
The key word ‘fate’ does not appear in the original Suna no Utsuwa, but it
has been

extensively used in Chinese translations as a promotional slogan.

The translation of novels has also been influenced by the power of media,
including movies and lianhuanhua, and the central theme of Suna no Utsuwa
revolving around the concept of ‘fate.’Subject: Toward the Horizon of Media Content: A (Preliminary) Study on theReception of Suna no Utsuwa in North America
Speaker: TSUNODA Takuya, Assistant Professor, Columbia University, USA
Translator: KASHIMA Takumi
In 1989, Soho Press, a publisher founded in 1986 and specializing in specificgenres such as suspense fiction, published an English translation of Suna noUtsuwa. This book remains available for purchase in North America to thisday. The translator for this work was Beth Cary, who has not only translated
Matumoto Seicho’s works but has also worked on books related to Studio
Ghibli and served as an interpreter for Miyazaki Hayao. The English version
is titled Inspector Imanishi Investigates.

In this title, the character ofDetective Imanishi is emphasized as a central figure to the story.
This time, I would like to introduce a book review that appeared in The New

York Times. The author of this review was Herbert Mitgang, who was also ajournalist and an author himself.

The title of the book review is ‘Tea

Ceremonies, Haiku, And of course, a Body.’

The literal translation is ‘Tea

ceremony, haiku, and, of course, a corpse.’ It is a humorously titled review
that prominently features Japanese elements like tea ceremonies and haiku.
Matsumoto Seicho is introduced as ‘one of the most popular authors in Japan.’
Furthermore, the review delves into various genres such as ‘detective fiction’and ‘police procedural,’ with Mitgang even using terms like ‘forensic novel’and ‘scientific investigation story.’ One noteworthy aspect of his review is
how Mitgang provides a comparative framework by mentioning the names ofWestern mystery novelists like Georges Simenon (Belgium) and Nicholas
Freeling (United Kingdom). Regarding Simenon, the series centered aroundthe character Inspector Maigret is well-known. As for Freeling, Amsterdam
serves as setting, and his novels feature Inspector Van der Valk as theprotagonist. By explicitly referencing renowned Western novelists who basetheir works around characters, the review can be analyzed as focusing on
Matsumoto Seicho’s ‘inspector Imanishi’ while evaluating “Suna no Utsuwa.”
I would like to transition to the topic of streaming services.

Suna noUtsuwa has been available for streaming since 2017, under the title Castle ofSand.

When examining its significance in the context of Japanese film

history in English-speaking regions, I will explore the insights provided by
Nomura Yoshitaro’s Suna no Utsuwa by introducing the keyword ‘media

genre.’The Criterion Collection, Inc., founded in 1984 and based in New York, isengaged in sale of media formats such as DVDs and Blu-rays, licensing forsales, and digital remastering. One of its distinctive features is its focus onworld cinema masterpieces rather than Hollywood-driven entertainment
works, and it also places a significant emphasis on high-quality digitalrestoration.

Software released by the Criterion Collection, Inc., which isused exclusively in university classes, is highly regarded.
In 2018, the Criterion Channel, a subscription-based streaming service
dedicated to films, was launched. It is noteworthy that Suna no Utsuwa isavailable for streaming on this unique platform and remains accessible.
Currently, five Nomura-Matsumoto collaboration works can be viewed on theplatform. These include Kichiku, Suna no Utsuwa, Kage no Kuruma, the wellknown Zero no Shoten, and Harikomi.
A film critic named Benjamin Mercer contributed an article titled ‘The
Crime Thrillers of Studio Maverick Yoshitaro Nomura,’ on the Criterion
official website.

While directors like Kurosawa Akira and Oshima Nagisa arewidely recognized in North America, Nomura Yoshitaro is not so well-known.
Benjamin Mercer positions Nomura as ‘genre filmmaker’ in this context.
Another crucial point to note is the generational perspective presented here.
Specifically, while Kurosawa is associated with the golden age of the studiosystem, and Oshima is seen as a leader of the Shochiku Nouvelle Vague, thegeneration of Nomura Yoshitaro is portrayed as somewhat neglected.

He isconsidered too young for the golden age and not as young as Oshima’sNouvelle Vague generation, placing Nomura in an ‘intermediate’ category as
an underappreciated filmmaker.
For those who watch films in unique media environment like the Criterion
Channel, what significance do the works of Nomura Yoshitaro and Matsumoto
Seicho hold today?
Japanesefilms

In the age of the attention economy, we observed thatare‘emerging’throughrecommendation

systems.

Additionally, through streaming, one can consider the works of Nomura andMatsumoto as a media experience that has been brought back to life.