Neko Machi (City of Cats, 1935) is a peculiar short story that occupies a relatively unique space within Hagiwara Sakutarō’s oeuvre. Within this narrative, a protagonist plagued by a poor sense of direction stumbles into a realm of transformed reality, which he dubs the ‘fourth dimension’. Infused with modernist undertones, the story resonates with the broader themes present in Sakutarō’s poetry, particularly the exploration of transcendence as a means to escape existential unrest. Despite being less frequently discussed compared to his other works, Neko Machi has garnered attention from critics. Many analyses centre on the story's visionary and fantastical elements. Some interpretations draw parallels between the city bustling with cats and a metaphor for the Japanese political climate in 1935. The aim of this exploration is to provide an analysis that unveils the narrative's resonance with Sakutarō’s aesthetic consciousness. This is accomplished by delving into references to metaphysical concepts, the notion of the fourth dimension, and the application of mathematical logic. Through these lenses, we seek to uncover the layers of meaning embedded within Neko Machi and illuminate Sakutarō’s narrative craftsmanship.
University of Catania, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0003-2281-8666
Chapter Title
La città dei gatti di Hagiwara Sakutarō. Poesia e quarta dimensione
Authors
Luca Capponcelli
Language
Italian
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0422-4.05
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2024
Copyright Information
© 2024 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
Il dono dell’airone
Book Subtitle
Scritti in onore di Ikuko Sagiyama
Editors
Luca Capponcelli, Diego Cucinelli, Chiara Ghidini, Matilde Mastrangelo, Rolando Minuti
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
390
Publication Year
2024
Copyright Information
© 2024 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0422-4
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0421-7
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0422-4
Series Title
Connessioni. Studies in Transcultural History
Series ISSN
2975-0393
Series E-ISSN
2975-0261