If there is hope...

...then of course it lies in the proles. Problem is, for many left-wing writers and activists thinking about Japan, it has been hard to find recent reminders of this hope. With the right so aggressive and progressive movements disoriented and demoralised, it's not surprising that commentary on Japan can sometimes seem gloomy.

In this context, an unexpected revival of Takiji Kobayashi's Kani Kosen ("The Factory Ship") amongst youth is an inspiring hint of the discontent and alienation under the surface of official Japanese life. Takiji's story of oppression - and the beginnings of workers' organisation - on a crab boat has connected with young people, many of whom, as freeter and "precariat" workers, share experiences of casualisation, poor conditions and abuse. Critics - and readers themselves - have linked Kani Kosen's popularity to discontent amongst young people, and others see it as a sign of a shift to the left in popular consciousness. Some academics are reporting a rise in interest in the works of Marx on the campuses, and in discussions of capitalism, exploitation and theory.



Certainly, the official Left is rebuilding - the JCP is signing up a thousand new members a month, and sees Kani Kosen's revival as related to its own growth. The test is for socialists committed to emancipation from below to see if they can meet the challenge of this new mood.

There is some good stuff on Kobayashi on the web - including this excellent, and detailed, blog post that stimulated interesting comments, and this good piece - and there's plenty of Japanese material here. He was a matyr to the workers' movement in Japan - he died tragically young, tortured to death by the police - and, if nothing else, this latest publicity is welcome for bringing his work the attention it deserves.