Breaking into Japanese Literature/Identity: Tatemae and Honne

Abstract

Due to the application of Euro-centered methods of interpretation, literary criticism has
overlooked key social aspects that are characteristic of Japanese literature. Among these much-neglected
characteristics one can include the paired concepts tatemae and honne. By incorporating those concepts
into a reading of Japanese texts, the reader can discover social issues previously unseen. Banana
Yosimoto’s novel Kitchen is used to illustrate the different interactions of tatemae and honne.