Mina Qiao
Women in the Maze – Space and Gender in Kirino Natsuo’s Writings
Münchner Schriftenreihe Japanforschung, Vol. 5
2019; 224 pages
ISSN 2199-6237
ISBN 978-3-89733-494-6

​Kirino Natsuo (b. 1951)’s use of space to delineate women’s departures from traditional gender roles distinguishes her narratives from those of her contemporaries. Space is omnipresent in Kirino’s narratives, emphasizing female characters’ agency, autonomy, and pursuit of identity. (Sub)urban spaces and imaginary realms function as the inevitable stage on which the female characters perform. The female characters’ spatial experiences and motion trajectories correspond with their adventures thus constituting radical challenges to both social and literary conventions.