form or genre of 20th-century Japanese literature that is characterized by self-revealing narration, with the author usually as the central character.

The I novel grew out of the naturalist movement that dominated Japanese literature during the early decades of the 20th century. The term is used to describe two different types of novel, the confessional novel (characterized by prolonged, often self-abasing, revelation) and the “mental attitude” novel (in which the writer probes innermost thoughts or attitudes toward everyday events in life). Notable I novelists of the first type include Kasai Zenzō, Kamura Isota, and Uno Kōji; writers of the latter type, headed by Shiga Naoya, include Amino Kiku, Takii Kōsaku, and Ozaki Kazuo.