Anguished Youth (苦悩する青年, Kunō suru seinen) (1912 - 1926) (feb 1, 1912 – dec 1, 1926)

Description:

Description:
Young intellectuals and students who, amid the rapid modernization of Taisho Japan, grappled with alienation, identity crises, and the collapse of traditional values. They expressed their anxieties through poetry, essays, and art, drawing inspiration from Western existentialism and Japanese romanticism.

Cultural / Historical Context:
The expansion of universities and the rise of literary circles in the 1910s and 1920s created a space for debate and self-exploration. The trauma of World War I, the spread of liberal ideas, and the weakening of old hierarchies fueled their sense of uncertainty and dislocation.

Events/Names:
August 1915: Ryūnosuke Akutagawa publishes “Rashōmon,” a story emblematic of moral ambiguity and existential doubt.

1910–1923: The Shirakaba (White Birch) literary group promotes introspection and individualism.

Connection to Youth Rebellion/Punk Sentiments:
The Anguished Youth’s rebellion was intellectual and existential rather than overtly political or violent. Their questioning of authority, tradition, and the purpose of life mirrored the introspective, anti-establishment ethos found in later punk and countercultural movements. Like punks, they rejected the values of the mainstream and sought authenticity through self-expression, often using literature and art as their primary weapons. Their struggle was against the emptiness they perceived in both the old order and the new, Westernized society, making their rebellion both a critique of the present and a search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. This internalized defiance and alienation are hallmarks of many later youth subcultures, where the act of questioning itself becomes a form of resistance.

Why This Subculture Matters:
The Anguished Youth were among the first in Japan to articulate the psychological impact of modernization and the loss of traditional anchors. Their legacy is the normalization of youth as a period of questioning, doubt, and creative exploration. By foregrounding the inner life and struggles of young people, they paved the way for later generations to challenge societal norms and to view self-expression and critique as vital parts of youth identity. Their influence is seen in the continued association of youth with cultural and artistic innovation.

Equivalent Western Example:
Comparable to the “Lost Generation” of post-WWI Europe—writers and artists like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald—who expressed disillusionment with the values of their parents, critiqued society through art, and sought new forms of meaning in a world they saw as fractured and uncertain.

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