SELF-HEALING IN NAGAI KAFŪ’S SHORT STORIES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF IYASHI

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2026-0015

Abstract

Drawing on traditional Japanese aesthetics and the healing spirit embedded in Japanese culture, this study adopts a structural– systematic method combined with an intercultural approach to examine two forms of self-healing therapies manifested in Nagai Kafū’s short stories: art therapy and nature therapy. The study aims to explore the therapeutic dimension of literature in Kafū’s works through the construction of narrative spaces, storytelling, language, and tone, thereby articulating existential reflections on human life. In doing so, the paper not only affirms Nagai Kafū’s conscious engagement with preserving and revitalizing traditional Japanese identity but also highlights the healing dimension of his literature in relation to the trend of iyashi-kei bungaku (healing literature) that has flourished in Japan since the 1990s.