Palmer indicates that as Occidental literature can be traced back to Homer, so too can Kawabata be traced back, into the traditions of Lady Murasaki's Genji. This articles strongest point is that Kawabata is best appreciated and most masterful with his palm of the hand stories, and that his long novels should not really be deemed novels. In fact, these extended narratives, perhaps in part due to magazine serialization, do not end, but merely stop. Kawabata's last work, Gleanings from Snow Country, was a distillation of his longer episodic novel, and with this final piece he "epitomized his life in art." (401)

Petersen, Gwenn Boardman. The Moon in the Water: Understanding Tanizaki, Kawabata, and Mishima. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1979.

Nice, broad overview of Kawabata and his work available in translation. As Boardman states, this book serves "as a practical guide meant to increase the reader's enjoyment." While she touches on all of Kawbata's writing, Snow Country and the short story "The Moon on the Water" are examined in more depth.

Pilarcik, Marlene A. "Dialectics and Change in Kawabata's The Master of Go." Modern Language Studies 16, 4 (1986): 9-21.

This article delves into the conflicting forces represented by the Master, who becomes the embodiment of traditional with his aesthetic appreciation of the inner workings of go, while the challenger Otake is an embodiment of the modern, rational man, intent on success. Pilarcik faithfully demonstrates the ebb and flow in breaking down the aspects of each man's game. In the end, however, it is not either man's personality nor just the death of the Master, but it is the decline of go as an art, with its grand traditions which inevitably fades to the modern world.

Based on his translation of Snow Country into Thai, Prabhavi-Vadhana breaks down this work to discuss how Kawabata wrote. In doing this, he points out that any Asian writer should study this work to understand that it is not necessary to publish in English as long as the work contributes to the literary world through the presentation of the writer's own culture.

The articles about Kawabata's work provide an overview of the general criticisms about his work, generally from articles appearing in the seventies, when many of his books became available in translation. Included in these reviews are excerpts from such figures as Gwenn Boardman, D.J. Enright, Masao Miyoshi, and Yokio Mishima.

A discussion on the novel Snow Country, which develops the idea that this novel can show some of the "larger purposes of Kawabata's work" as well as the "techniques of Japanese narrative fiction in general."(162)

Rogers looks at the rise of go and chess in history and how these games express a way of dealing with the world. He states that Nabokov and Kawabata "recognize and assert that chess and go are paradigms of all art which express complex patterns of meaning, beauty, power and the human committment to creation."(227) Yet, for all the artistic and stylistic expressions in these games, the main characters' mastery of the nuances and patterns of the game fail in the end to act as shields from attacks both on the board and in life.

While this article concerns the overall development and state of Japanese literature, Ryan uses The Sound of the Mountain to illustrate her argument that one the most striking characteristics in the language of Japanese literature is the use of discontinuity. Further, Ryan argues that Japanese literature relies heavily on language rather than content, which can lead to misunderstanding on the part of foreign readers.

Sasayama, Yutaka. "The Seasons in Japan: Winter" Japan Quarterly 29,1 (1982): 88-92.

Brief article (2 pages are pictures) about winter in Japan, using Kawabata's Snow Country as an introduction into the season. While not an analysis of Snow Country it does provide a feel for the season and the division Kawabata creates.

Seidensticker, Edward. "Kawabata." The Hudson Review 22, 1 (Spring 1969): 7-10.

A contemporary account of Kawabata's winning of the Nobel Prize, by his most ardent translator. Explains why Kawabata was chosen, his style of writing, and how his he manages to incorporate both modern and traditional themes throughout.

Briefly discusses Kawabata's novels, particularly his method of publication through serialization. The best example being Snow Country, which began as seven episodes between 1935 and 1937, but not finished until 1947.

An essay describing Kawabata and his works, along with a sense of Seidensticker's changing perceptions of Kawabata's work. Also includes some direct quotes from Kawabata at the of the essay describing his writings.

Seinfelt, Mark. "Yasunari Kawabata" In Final Drafts: Suicides of World-Famous Authors, 293-302. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1999.

As the book title suggests, this article is obstensibly about the suicide of Kawabata. The author relies only on English language sources. Only the first two pages are about the suicide, the rest of the article offers a brief biography and an overview of his writing, particularly The Lake. Seinfelt's bibliography suggests that the New York Times Obituary from 1972 would give the best details about Kawabata's suicide.

Sekine, Eiji. "Eroticism in the Absence of Sexuality: Tanizaki, Kawabata, and Yoshiyuki." Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature. 41 (1993): 51-66

The works represented in this study are Kawabata's House of Sleeping Beauties, Tanizaki's Ashikari, and Yoshiyuki's Till Dusk. These stories are considered representative of the literary canon and Sekine looks at how each story contains an underlying adherence to a modern, Western ideological system. In regards to sexuality, Sekine notes how the stories end with a representation of solitude in a positive light.

Shuichi, Kato. "Kawabata and Oe: From Exoticism to Universality." Japan Echo 22, 1 (Spring 1995): 78-79.

Although this brief essay is more of an acknowledgment of Oe's achievements rather than a comment on Kawabata, it does look at the writings of both writers. Also, this article expresses the changing literary traditions in Japan and also the changes taking place in the Occidental world concerning the selection of these two writers as the Nobel Laureate.

Silberman details a common thread found in many of Kawabata's works, a triangular relationship in which the male narrator-protagonist interacts with a real woman, whose actions he distorts in his search for the ideal woman. Silberman further argues that Kawabata does not represent a unique Japanese essence, but is concerned with themes of man's alienation and isolation, which he considered a universal truth.

The author expands on the comparison of Kawabata's work to the form of the Renga, commented on by various critics. His argument is illustrated using The Sound of the Mountain and he argues that the work transcends time through the main characters memories and dreams, as well as the overall emphasis on objects and nature. He concludes by stating that while Kawabata was influenced by Joyce and other anti-narrative devices in the Occident at that time, his deepest affinities lie with the traditional Japanese form of the Renga.

According to The Times Literary Supplement review, this work is the first to offer a full length study of Kawabata's literature in English.  It is a commendable book that challenges and examines existing theories about Kawabata's work. Starrs follows a chronological approach throughout his study, with each chapter focusing on a major work from Kawabata during that period. However, this study also delves into many palm-of-the-hand stories and other facets of Kawabata's career.

Swann looks at how the characters in this novel fail to achieve the state of mind necessary to undertake the ideal ceremony, due to character flaws or hidden agendas which each harbor. Included in this article is also a focused examination of the vessels used in the ceremony and their symbolic significance to the novel.

An analysis of the symbolism and the main characteristics which drive the main characters. Swann sees this work as an examination of life, in which "love fails to effect a saving role," and all that remains is individual loneliness and sorrow for all concerned.

A probing and developed examination of Kawabata's longer stories. This dissertation looks at both primary and secondary themes with each chapter dedicated to one particular work by Kawabata. Swann uses analytical and mythic criticism to illuminate these themes.

An examination of Kawabata's short story Of Birds and Beasts. Shows the linkage and flow of the story and how humanity parallels animal life while simply being one aspect of the universe, with no mastery, no control over the world.

This examination of Snow Country as translated by Seidensticker shows how each character represents a means to approach life; either the detached aestheticism of Shimamura, the complete attachment and dedication to life of Komako, or Yoko's approach which lies in between the main characters. In the end, however, all approaches are a "wasted effort", in an attempt to find meaning in the transitory nature of life.

Swann discusses three works in this text, The Izu Dancer, The House of Sleeping Beauties, and One Arm. Each work is discussed separately, and focuses on the nature of the story. Especially prevalent in all three analyses is how the beauty of the women affects the male narrators, along with the pull between youth and age.

*not seen*

Takeda argues that Kawabata had a general interest in Western literature, of which The Bible was considered the apex. To illustrate, Takeda shows that Kawabata not only used Biblical quotations, but that he used them skillfully, showing an understanding of this text. Kawabata uses these quotes to "explain a character's psychology, a protagonist's destiny, or a human weakness." (96)

This essay argues that Kawabata should not be defined as "genuinely Japanese", but that his writing incorporates many different periods and cultural ideas. These ideas include Christianity and many Occidental literary figures, as well as older foundations of Western thought, drawing on ancient Greece and Egypt. Likewise, Takeda further argues that Kawabata's writing is influenced by older traditions of Japan, beyond Heian culture and the introduction of Buddhism.

A public lecture apparently given at Indiana University in conjunction with the Department of East Asian Languages and the Comparative Literature Program. Takeda discusses Kawabata's ability to synthesize Oriental and Occidental traditions. Of particular note is a lengthy discussion concerning the novel Tokyo People, a work rarely discussed in most surveys of Kawabata's work. Takeda demonstrates how Kawabata quoted from particular Occidental works, La Sauvage and A Streetcar Named Desire, to further develop the psychology of his main characters in Tokyo People.

Tansman, Alan. "Images of Repose and Violence in Three Japanese Writers." Journal of Japanese Studies 28,1 (2002): 109-139

Fascinating look at the critic Yasuda Yojuro, Kawabata, and Shiga Naoya. It includes a thorough look at Snow Country, as well as Yasuda's examination of the novel. The central discussion of this article is how fascism can appear and appeal in literature.

Torrance, Richard. "Popular Languages in Yukiguni." In Studies in Modern Japanese Literature, ed. Dennis Washburn, 247-259. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 1997.

Snow Country is examined for Kawabata's use of popular literary styles, such as travel writing, romance with a geisha, and pornography. Kawabata used these popular styles in a new way, creating his masterful work. Also, Kawabata was influenced by naturalism and social realism. Torrance does a fine job of demonstrating how modern influnces shaped this work - making this a nice counterbalance to other English discussions of Kawabata that focus on Zen and the traditional.

Tsukimura, Reiko. "The Art of Fiction in The East and West: An Observation on the Technique of Stream of Consciousness in Kawabata Yasunari and James Joyce." Actes du VI Congres de l'Association Internationale de Litterature Comparee 6 (1975): 667-672.

A comparison of Kawabata's unfinished Vision of Crystal, written in 1931 as a member of the Neo-sensualists, with James Joyce Ulysses. Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway is also briefly examined. This article nicely shows how Kawabata modelled his work on Ulysses while still taking a different tact on stream of consciousness writing. Tsukimura also provides a glimpse into Kawabata the literary critic, an aspect of his career not usually seen in translation.

Tsukimura, Reiko. "The Symbolic Significance of the Old Man in The Sound of the Mountain." In Life, Death, and Age in Modern Japanese Fiction, ed. Reiko Tsukimura, 45-54. Toronto: University of Toronto-York University, 1978.

Tsukimura sees the central theme of this novel as an attempt to reunite the relation between man and nature, which in turn fuels a harmony among humans. To do this, Kawabata relied on an aged character, whose responses are often limited to perceptions rather than actions. This allows for Shingo, the main character, to reflect on life and preserve Japanese sensibility, "which helps man to value tenderness and warmth in human relationships and to understand the meaning of life through observation of nature."(45)

The central theme of this paper, as stated by the author, is to "examine how women function in Kawabata's fiction to save his heroes from their loneliness, and how they ultimately fail to perform this assigned funtion." Tsuruta bases his analysis primarily on four works, each representing a different period in K's life; " The Izu Dancer, " Snow Country, The Sound of the Mountain, and House of Sleeping Beauties.

An examination of Kawabata's novella based on the symbolism of color. Of particular notice is that a varying sense of color dominates during each of Eguchi's five visits, and this sense affects each night. Two basic colors emerge, red and white, with white eventually filling the scenes as a representation of death and its eventual triumph over the red of life.

This article strives to examine the various techniques Kawabata uses to portray reality. First, Tsuruta shows that in many of Kawabata's works he removes his characters from the day to day existence and "mutes" the reality into a controlled setting. Tsuruta also mentions the frequent use of mirrors for their symbolism, and argues that the character of Komako can also be seen as a mirror between Shimamura and Yoko. Further, Tsuruta argues that Kawabata breaks down the traditional dualities which define life, and that Snow Country is "about a thoroughly differentiated man taking a trip back to a state of non-differentiation."(265)

Tsuruta, Kinya. "Kawabata's use of Irony: An Analysis of "The Moon on the Water." Par Rapport 5-6 (1982-1983): 45-50

Examines the symbolism of this story, particularly dwelling on the role of mirrors and the nature of Kyoko's relationship with her first and second husband. Specifically, her first husband died from a long illness, and Tsuruta looks at how Kyoko's first marriage was more like mother and child.

Tsuruta, Kinya. "The Twilight Years, East and West: Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and Kawabata's The Sound of the Mountain." In Explorations, ed. Makoto Ueda, 87-99. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1986.

An interesting examination of the themes found in the late works of two well known authors. Specifically, Tsuruta looks at how the heros in these novels "confront death by examining their responses to primarily two major factors in life: space and time."

This panel, entitled An International and Comparative Perspective on Kawabata Yasunari", contains nine essays from a number of scholars including Makoto Ueda, Toshihiko Kawasaki and Kinya Tsuruta. All of these essays are comparative studies between Kawabata's The Sound of the Mountain and a number of Occidental texts. According to Tsuruta, who organized the panel, this text was chosen as Kawabata's masterpiece and a number of topics emerged from the discussion, including points of view, efficacy of plot, characterization, the distancing in symbolism, the significance of time, and concepts of time."(2)

Three in depth essays discussing particular works by Kawabata, Snow Country, The Sound of the Mountain, and The Master of Go. The writers are Makoto Ueda, Kinya Tsuruta, and Thomas Swann respectively.

Tsutsumi, Setsuko. "Kawabata Yasunari: Interweaving the 'Old Song of the East' and avant-garde techniques." Ph.D. diss., University of Washington, 1997.

*not seen* This dissertation looks closely at Kawabata's orphan complex and how that influence his writing. Chapter III looks at the neo-perceptionist influences, with paticular attention being drawn to his Palm of the Hand stories. From the abstract, "...Kawabata's involvement in this anti-traditional avant-garde movement did not weaken his traditional sensibilities, but rather resulted in strengthening them, because the modern techniques he gravitated towards allowed him to express lyrical and mystical sentiments by omitting explanations and using sophisticated symbolism."

Ueda, Makoto. Modern Japanese Writers. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1976.

A look at the overall themes in Kawabata's work, especially his emphasis on beauty. Specifically, Ueda focuses on the types of characters Kawabata portrayed and how these individuals present the best type of people to see the "pure beauty" of life.

A biographical sketch of Kawabata's life, this essay comments on his youthful love interests and early literary themes, which appear throughout Kawabata's work.

Washburn, Dennis C. "A Dizzying Descent into Self: Kawabata and the Problem of Cultural Amnesia." In The Dilemma of the Modern in Japanese Fiction, 246-264. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.

A fine analysis of Snow Country and Sound of the Mountain, Washburn uses these texts to illustrate that Kawabata was a modern writer - "the image of Kawabata as somehow maintaining cultural traditions should not be allowed to obscure the fact that his use of the tradition was self-conscious and thus an indication of his awareness of the gulf between the past and the present." His writing is in reality discordent, and shows the fragmentation of human thought and experience in the modern context.

Watanabe, Kazutoshi. "The Swan Song of a Master." UNESCO Courier 45, 9 (Sep. 1992): 34-36.

An examination of the two main characters in Master of Go. This article sees a progression between the Master, who represents the old traditions of Japan, and Otake, who represents modern Japan.

A scathing critique of Seidensticker's translation. Particularly, Watson criticizes him for leaving out two scenes which represent the maturing of the young schoolboy, the stop at the teahouse and the scene at the pier. This removal prevents the reader of the translation from understanding that the boy, guided by Neo-Confucianism, "gives" kindness to others by agreeing to take an old woman to Tokyo with him, instead of the picture produced in translation, where the student "receives" kindness, and remains a passive figure.

Weston, Mark. "Kawabata Yasunari and Oe Kenzaburo: Nobel Prize-Winning Novelists." In Giants of Japan, 288-299. New York: Kodansha International, 1999.

An uninspiring essay about both authors. It gives a general background about Kawabata's life and lists major works. It is geared toward an individual trying to become familiar with Japanese culture, and this essay feels perfunctory, as if he had to write about these authors due to the Nobel Prize.

Wienold, Gotz. "Typological Aspects of Translating Literary Japanese into German, I: Lexicon and Morphology; II:Syntax and Narrative Technique." Target 2,1 (1990) 1-21.

Intended for translators, it helps to know Japanese and German. It uses Oscar Benl's translation of Snow Country for examples.

Wilson, Michiko Niikuni. "A Short Story of Mori Makiko: An Introduction and Translation of Sunday and Women Characters in Modern Japanese Novels: A Brief Comparison of Some Novels by Tanizaki Junichiro, Mishima Yukio, and Kawabata Yasunari." M.A. Thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 1973.

Although Wilson discusses Kawabata briefly, this is more of an analysis of the women characters in Snow Country rather than a comparison to Tanizaki and Mishima.

*not seen*

Yamamoto, Joe. "Japanese Suicide: Yasunari Kawabata and Yukio Mishima." Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis 3,2 (1975): 179-186.

A speculative article concerning why Kawabata and Mishima committed suicide. Examines their atypical youths as well as the role of suicide in Japan.

Yamanouchi, Hisaaki. The Search for Authenticity in Modern Japanese Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.

Although Yamanouchi's chapter on Kawabata also deals with Tanizaki, comparisons between the two authors are scant. Instead, Yamanouchi studies Kawabata's style, which he illustrates by focusing on three major novels, Snow Country, Thousand Cranes, and The Sound of the Mountain.