Thousand Cranes

Mitani Kikuji is an everyman character who seems to have lived the typical life of an affluent young businessman prior to accepting Chikako’s invitation to the tea ceremony. What is the effect of Kawabata using an everyman character to explore the novel’s themes?

How does Kawabata use dress to convey meaning in Thousand Cranes?

Kawabata describes many of the items of tea ware associated with the tea ceremony in depth. What is the effect of these items being presented in such detail?

Mitani Kikuji is the only male character in the novel. Why are all of the secondary characters women, and how does the presentation of gender elucidate the novel’s themes?

Japanese society was in a state of significant flux following Japan’s defeat in World War II. How do the rapid changes affecting society influence Kawabata’s treatment of the Decay of Traditions and Values?

Thousand Cranes was initially published in serialized form. How has this initial publication style impacted the final structure of the novel? Does this form contribute to the exploration of the novel’s themes, and if so, how?

Explore the ways in which Thousand Cranes differs from a typical bildungsroman or coming-of-age story. How does Kikuji’s character develop through the course of the narrative?

Compare and contrast traditional Japanese aesthetic philosophies such as wabi-sabi with those of Modernist art movements. How are such disparate concepts of beauty brought together in Thousand Cranes?