Miyabi Goto

Critical Failures revisits the overlooked messiness at the heart of Japan's early experiments with modern criticism. In the Meiji era, young intellectuals posited that mastering the art of critical reading – called hihyō – was essential for Japan's advancement on the world stage. Yet, while they made concerted efforts to theorise hihyō and proposed ambitious ideals, their actual reading practice...

Critical Failures revisits the overlooked messiness at the heart of Japan's early experiments with modern criticism. In the Meiji era, young intellectuals posited that mastering the art of critical reading – called hihyō – was essential for Japan's advancement on the world stage. Yet, while they made concerted efforts to theorize hihyō and proposed ambitious ideals, their actual reading practice...