Alienation Reflected through the Character of the Bear in Hiromi Kawakami's Short Story Kamisama (The God of Bears)

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of alienation embodied in the character of the “bear” in Hiromi Kawakami’s short story Kamisama (The God of Bears), a work of magical realism. Employing a documentary research methodology, this analysis draws on scholarly articles and related sources to examine the narrative within the sociocultural context of contemporary Japan. The findings demonstrate that Kawakami develops a discourse on cultural diversity and the coexistence of heterogeneous social groups by positioning the bear as a symbolic figure of the marginalization and adaptive strategies of minority populations in Japan, including foreigners, the elderly, and other socially peripheral groups. The narrative further illuminates intergenerational gaps shaped by differing value systems and customs. These dynamics are expressed through the bear’s enactment of omoiyari, the narrator’s inclination toward amae, and the evocation of Ainu beliefs concerning animal spirits, as exemplified by the iomante ritual.