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As to observations on the significance of Futon, we shall conclude with answers from these outstanding characteristics of Futon which we have just observed in this chapter. The most significant aspect of Futon lies, I believe, in Katai's discovering in Futon how to write a "realistic" novel. Our reason being that these techniques of Katai--treatment of the theme, development of the characters, and straightforward description--gave a tangible format to his fellow writers who had been seeking new forms and who had been moving away from the old abstract literary theories of Shōyō. We all know that it is the talent of a writer to be able to find the best way to express what he wants to say, and that in order to do so he must be able to select the most effective method from available sources. It should also be borne in mind that the selection of suitable methods is just a preliminary task for a writer. In addition he must know how to utilize to his best advantage these available techniques. Needless to say techniques are only tools and they themselves do not have any literary value unless they are used in the right place and in the right context of any piece of work by a writer who knows how to avail himself of their best use. In Futon Katai demonstrates his ability to use all available techniques of both the Orient and the West to draw his readers into his story, where, as the story unfolds, his readers are able to sense the experiences of Katai's characters. These characters, in turn, reflect the society of the early twentieth century in Japan, which professed one set of traditional values from which his characters suffered.
