Botchan (UNESCO collection of representative works: Japanese series)

Botchan is one of Japan's most popular novels for young people for its meditations upon Japanese culture, lively characters, and coming-of-age theme. The titular character is a young, headstrong and reckless youth who is nevertheless possessed of a serious sense of honor and integrity. Although his temper and impulsiveness create problems, Botchan's moral convictions underpin his journey: indeed, whether he will compromise his morals is the central question. After taking a job as a junior teacher in a local middle school, Botchan comes into conflict with Red Shirt; his school's eloquent but manipulative and conniving head teacher. Vying for the hand of a local beauty, Red Shirt will stop at nothing to achieve his aims, using his position and the system to undermine or defeat others. However a hot tempered but justice-seeking mathematics teacher, Yama Arashi, is determined to oppose such underhand behavior. Who will Botchan side with in the end? Natsume Soseki used both his own childhood and his reflections upon the contrasting cultures of Tokyo - which stood at the forefront of Japan's development - and Matsuyama, whose deep-rooted traditions remained strong. The descriptions of Matsuyama as it was at the opening of the 20th century offer insight into a country caught at the crossroads between the incipient modern world and the long standing ways of the past.