Di cosa parliamo quando parliamo di letteratura: Cina, Giappone, Occidente

From a comparative perspective, this essay attempts an interrogation of the idea of literature in the Sinophone context, crucially regarded as part of the exchanges taking place within the “world” of East Asia. Starting from an awareness of the historical hegemony of Chinese literary culture in this “world” until the mid-nineteenth century, I shall especially attempt to tackle some transits – occurred or, to the contrary, hindered – that highlight (mainly taking Japan into consideration) a mutual redefinition of East Asian cul- tures, albeit within the context of the aforementioned Chinese hegemony. Approaching modernity, it will be necessary to take into consideration the political, cultural, and literary upheaval initiated by the impact of colonial Western powers in the area – an upheaval that also substantially re-determines the role and weight of Japan. I shall consider the evolution of the Chinese term/character 文 wen, as well as the changing categorization of genres across time and space, finally narrowing down the field to a discussion of an intrinsically problematic “macro-form” – i.e., narrative: towards modernity, a form increasingly regarded as fiction, embodied in a textual selection regulat- ed by concepts of artistry and self-conscious inventiveness. My working hy- pothesis is that such a broad gaze can help illuminate a number of key tensions – between fictionality and factuality, writing and orality, local and global dimensions.