The Shirakabaha was a Japanese literary movement centred on the magazine Shirakaba, first published in 1910. It also refers to members of the group who share the same ideas and literary style.

In 1910 students of the prestigious Peer’s School

Gakushuin University

is an elite higher educational institution in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It was re-established after World War II as an affiliate of the Gakushūin School Corporation, the privatized successor to the original Gakushūin University or "Peers School" set up during the Meiji era to educate the...

 in Tokyo began this group as a reaction against Naturalism, the dominant trend in literature at the time. Membership later expanded, including those such as Shiga Naoya

Shiga Naoya

was a Japanese novelist and short story writer active during the Taishō and Showa periods of Japan.-Early life:Shiga was born in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture. His father, the son of a samurai, was a banker. The family moved to Tokyo when Shiga was three, to live with his grandparents, who...

 (1883-1971), Mushanokōji Saneatsu  (1885-1976), Yanagi Sōetsu

Yanagi Soetsu

, also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese philosopher and founder of the mingei movement in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s.-Life:In 1916, Yanagi made his first trip to Korea out of curiosity about Korean crafts...

(1889-1961), Satomi Ton

Satomi Ton

is the pen-name for a Japanese author known for the craftsmanship of his dialogue and command of the Japanese language. His two elder brothers, Ikuma Arishima and Takeo Arishima , were also authors...

 (1888-1983), Arishima Takeo (1878-1923) and Nagayo Yoshirō

Nagayo Yoshiro

was a novelist and playwright active during the Shōwa period in Japan.-Biography:Nagayo was born in Tokyo, as the 5th son of the famous doctor, Nagayo Sensai. He attended the Gakushūin Peers' School, and went on to graduate from Tokyo Imperial University...

(1888-1961). The group thought highly of Western aesthetics, spread the ideas of Western art and literature into Japan, and was concerned with the life of individuals, often incorporating optimistic philosophy into their work. Their literature was typically of the ‘I-novel’ genre. Although they were fascinated by European artistic trends, they were also deeply interested in Japanese culture. Unlike many other literary circles, they did not limit their interest to literature, but also delved into other art forms. They circulated the monthly magazine Shirakaba (White Birch) from April 1910 until 1923. The magazine reached its peak in popularity in 1918.

Overview

Against the backdrop of democracy in the Taisho period, members of the Shirakabaha produced works with themes such as idealism

Idealism

In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...

, humanism

Humanism

Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....

 and individualism

Individualism

Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...

. They emphasized the affirmation of humanity, replacing the naturalism

Naturalism (literature)

Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...

 that had been the major force in the literature of the Taisho period

Taisho period

The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...

.