Zhou Zuoren and Takeuchi Yoshimi's Ro Jin.

Takeuchi Yoshimi .. (1910-1977) became a leading figure in post-war Japanese intellectual circles, initially due to the influence of his classic 1943 work Ro Jin ... (Lu Xun), an intellectual biography and literary study of the founder of modern Chinese literature, Lu Xun ... (1881-1936). The book was read as presenting a model for East Asian intellectuals living under the dual weight of the American occupation and their own 'feudal' traditions. When he did advanced study in Beijing after graduation from Tokyo Imperial University, Takeuchi met and interacted with Lu Xun's younger brother Zhou Zuoren ... (1885-1967), a prominent essayist, academic and translator, who compiled a significant body of biographical writings on Lu Xun. This article focuses on the influence of Zhou Zuoren on Takeuchi Yoshimi's work, arguing that while in close communication with Zhou, whom he held in high regard, Takeuchi maintained a critical distance from a number of Zhou's positions, offering a more nuanced interpretation of Lu Xun. In conclusion, I assert that the book conveyed an anti-war sentiment to Japanese readers and hence should be considered an example of Japan's 'literature of resistance'--dissident writings produced and published during the war years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]