In this blog post, we’ll focus on Tokutomi Roka’s (德富蘆花) view of nature and the aesthetic appeal of his writing.
Nature and Life — A Writer’s Deep Affection for Nature
“Nature and Life” is a collection of essays imbued with a deep affection for nature and meticulous observation, and it has long been cherished by many readers in Japan.
A love for nature is a long-standing tradition in Japanese literature. Formats such as tanka, waka, and haiku have largely been devoted to celebrating nature, and this tradition was carried forward by writers in the early days of modern literature.
Tokutomi Roka, who carried on this tradition, expressed his deep love for nature through essays. His observations are precise and incisive; while he depicts nature as it is with unadorned simplicity, his detailed and accurate descriptions leave a strong aesthetic impression on the reader.
Although Roka’s writing does not rely heavily on modern literary techniques or complex thematic concerns, it exudes an endless charm through its vivid and dazzling colors, much like Japanese woodblock prints. As you slowly savor each line, a quiet yet profound joy wells up in your heart.
His prose honestly records his observations without exaggeration or florid rhetoric. Such sincere narration evokes the clear and comforting emotion that readers feel when encountering nature.
His love for nature is more than mere pleasure; it is closer to an attitude of embracing it with one’s whole being, as if embracing it with one’s heart. In some ways, it resembles the Zen attitude of pursuing the “Way” (Dao), or the sublimity of a samurai who wields his sword at the risk of his life.
As a result, even when observing the same natural scenery, a solemn and reverent aspect often emerges—in contrast to the European’s contemplation, which is characterized solely by joy and brightness.
When the landscape before his eyes suddenly darkens, obscured by clouds, and a chilly wind brushes his face, the once-quiet valley is instantly filled with a cacophony—a sound impossible to distinguish whether it comes from the ripples of a lake or the trembling branches of the trees covering the mountains.
—From “Rain and Wind on the Mountain Peaks”
His heart, which had always harbored feelings of desolation and turmoil, finds beautiful solace in the presence of nature. The texture of those emotions is sublimated into a tranquil aesthetic exploration within nature.
In particular, what never ceases to amaze us is his keen sense of beauty. The natural landscapes he unfolds evoke gasps of wonder from the reader.
When faint moonlight falls upon the flowers, the branches bearing them take on a dark hue, while the sparse branches appear pale and misty to the eye. When the shadows of the flowers and the moonlight fall in mottled patches upon a courtyard strewn with fallen blossoms, walking upon it feels as if one were walking on the sky.
—From “A Night of Flowers and the Moon”
Life, Works, and Influence
Roka was born in 1868 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. His real name was Kenjirō, and his older brother was the renowned critic Tokutomi Sōhō.
After dropping out of Doshisha University, he became a Christian and devoted himself to evangelism; he then joined Min’yūsha, the publishing house founded by his brother Sōhō, where he engaged in translation and creative writing. This collection of essays, ‘Nature and Life’, was published in 1900.
He was also a prolific novelist and achieved considerable success. In particular, his work ‘Better to Return Home’ (不如歸) took the Japanese literary world by storm, with over 100 reprints following its publication.
Roka’s novels overflow with melancholy and innocence, while passion and righteous indignation flow through them poignantly. When that innocent and fervent passion meets his attitude toward nature, it transforms into quiet reflection and aesthetic exploration, sometimes achieving even greater success than his novels.
There is a passage that captures the lingering resonance of his language: “Even now, when I wake in the middle of the night with a clear head, it seems as if I can hear the sound of this water coming from somewhere far away.”—From ‘Gongsan Yusu’
Roka once visited Russia to meet Tolstoy, and after returning home, he settled in the suburbs of Tokyo and briefly worked as a farmer. He was a distinctive writer who formed his own unique style without being bound by the prevailing trends of the literary world at the time.
The structure of ‘Nature and Life’ is also intriguing. Part 1, “Five Minutes Before Nature,” is a collection of short pieces on nature he had written over the years, while Part 2, “Sketchbook,” compiles reflections on human affairs that had previously appeared in various books.
Part 3, “Miscellaneous Writings from Shonan,” consists of excerpts from a nature observation diary he kept while living for a year on the coast near Tokyo, in Sagami Bay, from the first day of the first lunar month to the last day of the twelfth lunar month.
This book was translated into English by Arthur Lloyd in 1913 and captured the interest of British readers because Roka’s deep love of nature, imbued with a distinctly Eastern flavor, struck Western readers as refreshing.
