Film and literature have been closely related since film debuted in Japan in the early 20th century. The silent film industry, which lasted well into the 1930s in Japan, employed former professional storytellers as benshi, narrators who added realistic dialogue and gave interpretation and background information to silent film audiences. As film has become more of a mainstream genre, many renowned novels and short stories have been depicted on screen, including Yukiguni (1948; tr. Snow Country, 1956), Sasameyuki (1943–48; tr. The Makioka Sisters, 1957), Rashomon (1915; tr. Rashomon, 1952), Maihime (1890; tr. The Dancing Girl, 1948), Kokoro (1914; tr. Kokoro: A Novel, 1957), and Suna no onna (1962; tr. Woman in the Dunes, 1964). Many of these literary films have received international awards, and others have been converted into television dramas or have been remade as animated films.
See also BUNGEI EIGA.
Historical dictionary of modern Japanese literature and theater. J. Scott Miller. 2009.