Abstract:In 1921, a series of romantic love (ren'ai) incidents left Japan's literate public pondering the transformative power of human feeling. Was romantic love dangerous, injurious to public morals and social order? Or was it a liberatory force, releasing individuals from outdated gender norms and status hierarchies? These incidents and the attendant public discussion illuminate important stories of the 1920s, including the rise of the middle class as a social group defined by its pursuit of emotion, and the overlooked place of human intimacy in the story of Taisho-era democracy.

中文翻译：

---

情感的爆发：1921 年日本的浪漫爱情与中产阶级认同

摘要：1921 年，一系列浪漫爱情（仁爱）事件让日本的文人大众开始思考人类情感的变革力量。浪漫的爱情是否危险、危害公共道德和社会秩序？或者它是一种解放力量，将个人从过时的性别规范和地位等级中解放出来？这些事件和随之而来的公开讨论阐明了 1920 年代的重要故事，包括中产阶级作为一个追求情感的社会群体的崛起，以及在大正时代民主故事中被忽视的人类亲密关系。