A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in Through the Arc of the Rain Forest

Japanese American writer Karen Tei Yamashita’s first novel, Through the Arc of Rainforest (1990), portrays protagonist Kazumasa Ishimaru as “a Santa Claus”, depicted having a plastic ball spinning in front his face. Yamashita presents this magic realist hero satire Japan 1990s, which became developed nation needed to support developing world under new Marshall Plan. Focusing on Kazumaza’s participation charity, essay explores gift economy embodied by immigrant character. Inspired Claude Lévi-Strauss’s 1952 “Burned-out Kazumasa’s Nikkei subject position not only criticizes capitalism but also Brazil’s postcolonial mentality. Supporting idea that Lévi-Strauss sympathizes with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept innocence, last part probes an innocent who challenges dichotomy between and Brazil.