Naturalism (shizen shugi) is a 19th-century European literary movement echoed in Meiji Japan. Related to realism, naturalism attempted to explain characters’ actions through scientific means. French author Emile Zola’s works spurred such Japanese authors as Tsubouchi Shoyo, Nagai Kafu, Shimazaki Toson, and Tayama Katai to use detailed, realistic description and rationalism in their works of social criticism.
Historical dictionary of modern Japanese literature and theater. J. Scott Miller. 2009.