What goals did the proletarian literature movement pursue in Japan?

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Yellow letter tiles on a teal background spell 'what is a haiku?' with abstract calligraphic scribbles in the background — Japanese literature Three lines. Five, seven, five.

The proletarian literature movement in Japan sought to utilize literature as a weapon to address social injustices, with the ultimate goal of effecting reform and even revolution.1

By focusing on classes of people who had previously been neglected by Japanese writers, the movement aimed to shift the literary landscape toward a more socially conscious perspective. While the movement gained significant influence in the late 1920s, it was eventually dismantled by governmental repression beginning in 1928, which included the imprisonment and death of key figures such as Kobayashi Takiji. Although many works produced by the movement are not considered to have high literary merit, they remain historically significant for their commitment to highlighting the struggles of the working class.1