Introduction: Girls and Literature = イントロダクション： 少女と文学

Abstract

The literary genre shōjo shōsetsu emerged in conjunction with the rise of girls' educationinthe Meiji period. Early stories were meant to educate readers to become "good wives and wise mothers." Accordingly, shōjo shōsetsu endured restrictions on the narratives they could tell, limiting the breadth of their authors' artistic and literary possibilities. Shōjo shōsetsu evolved and diversified in the postwar era and, especially starting in the 1980s, became a means for young female authors to empower themselves. Shōjo shōsetsu have declined in popularity recently as readers consume stories more broadly across media and genres. The goal of this special issue is to contemplate the function, meanings, and problems of shōjo shōsetsu. Instead of merely confining ourselves to a rigid, unified notion of shōjo shōsetsu, we consider shōjo characters from the wider literary world, investigating their roles, functions, and cultural implications.