Artist of the floating world Guide

Description

Title and its relevance

The word ‘floating  world’‘ of the title is the Japanese term for night life in the pleasure districts.An aspiring artist, young Ono began as a hack artist, then became the star pupil in a school of bohemian artists who enjoyed and celebrated bars and sake, hostesses and lantern light.

Led by a member of the Okada-Shingen (New Life) Society, Ono’s eyes were opened to social needs, and so he broke with the school and became an influential artist and propagandist for Japanese imperialism and the war effort. Now the war is lost. It is October 1948.

Americans have occupied Japan and popular attitudes have changed radically. The young think of those who led Japan to its disaster as traitors. Some former leaders have killed themselves to expiate their guilt……..

…