The Resistance Behind the Popular Songs: Hiroyuki Itsuki, Self-Representation in the 1960s, 1960s

The Resistance Behind the Popular Songs: Hiroyuki Itsuki, Self-Representation in the 1960s, 1960s

Hiroyuki Itsuki describes his works not as pure literature, but as entertainment that expresses his personal resistance to the times. In the 1960s, with the progression of rapid economic growth, literature lost its position as the central language of society, and popular culture began to take on the role of telling the story of reality. Itsuki faced this change and tried to depict memories of war, discrimination, and the tension between the state and the individual by choosing marginal forms such as popular songs, jazz, and popular novels. However, heavy historical themes are precipitated inside the work beyond the author's intention, creating a depth that cannot be recovered by mere entertainment. Through the gap between the author's self-explanation and the reality of his work, a quiet dialogue emerges, showing how the written word is inescapably bound to the times, even in an age when literature has lost its centrality.