Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, East Asian Languages and Literatures

This dissertation intends to delineate and explore the work of Shibata Renzaburo (1917-1978), author of kengo shosetsu novels, the genre of historical and adventure novels, which occupies a large and important niche in popular Japanese literature of the twentieth century. Shibata Renzaburo is widely known in Japan; his works have seen numerous editions and reprints, and a number of his most popular works have been adapted for film and television. Shibata Renzaburo is an iconic writer in that he was instrumental in establishing and solidifying the kengo shosetsu genre, a genre in which stories were usually set in the Edo period (1603-1868) and which involved elaborate plots and revolved around fictional master swordsmen, featuring intrigue, adventure, masterful swordplay, and fast-paced narratives. While the notion of a master swordsman protagonist was not new and came about during the prewar period, Shibata's writing differed from prewar works in several important aspects. One of the points of difference is the role and influence of French literature in Shibata's work, in particular, in the character of Nemuri Kyoshiro, the protagonist of the eponymous Nemuri Kyoshiro series.

Committee: Richard Torrance Ph. D. (Advisor) Subjects: Asian Literature; Asian Studies; Literature; Modern Literature