JAPANESE LITERATURE (HISTORICAL & LITERARY BACKGROUND)

I. Historical Background.

Early Japan borrowed much from Chinese culture but evolved its own character over time. Early Japan’s
political structure was based on clan, or family. Each clan developed a hierarchy of classes with
aristocrats, warriors, and priests at the top and peasants and workers at the bottom. During the 4th
century A.D. the Yamato grew to be most powerful and imposed the Chinese imperial system on Japan
creating an emperor, an imperial bureaucracy, and a grand capital city. a)

A. THE HEIAN AGE was the period of peace and prosperity, of aesthetic refinement and artificial
manners. The emperor began to diminish in power but continued to be a respected figure. Since
the Japanese court had few official responsibilities, they were able to turn their attention to art,
music, and literature.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon, represents a unique form of the diary genre. It contains vivid
sketches of people and place, shy anecdotes and witticisms, snatches of poetry, and 164 lists on
court life during the Heian period. Primarily intended to be a private journal, it was discovered
and eventually printed. Shōnagon served as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Sadako in the late
10th century.

B. THE FEUDAL ERA was dominated by the samurai class which included the militaristic lords, the
daimyo and the band of warriors, the samurai who adhered to a strict code of conduct the
emphasized bravery, loyalty, and honor. In 1192 Yorimoto became the shogun or chief general
one of a series of shoguns who ruled Japan for over 500 years.

C. THE TOKUGAWA SHOGONATE in the late 1500s crushed the warring feudal lords and controlled
all of Japan from a new capital at Edo, now Tokyo. By 1630 and for two centuries, Japan was a
closed society: all foreigners were expelled, Japanese Christians were persecuted, and foreign
travel was forbidden under penalty of death. The shogonate was ended in 1868 when Japan
began to trade with the Western powers. Under a more powerful emperor, Japan rapidly
acquired the latest technological knowledge, introduced universal education, and created an
impressive industrial economy.

II. Religious Traditions.

Two major faiths were essential elements in the cultural foundations of Japanese society.

A. Shintoism or ‘ the way of the gods,’ is the ancient religion that reveres in dwelling divine spirits
called kami, found in natural places and objects. For this reason natural scenes, such as waterfall,
a gnarled tree, or a full moon, inspired reverence in the Japanese people.

The Shinto legends have been accepted as historical fact although in postwar times they were
once again regarded as myths. These legends from the Records of Ancient Matters, or Kokiji, A.D.
712, and the Chronicles of Japan, or Nihongi, A.D. 720 form the earliest writings of ancient
Japan. Both collections have been considerably influenced by Chinese thought.
 B. Zen Buddhism emphasized the importance of meditation, concentration, and selfdiscipline as
the way to enlightenment. Zen rejects the notion that salvation is attained outside of this life and
this world. Instead, Zen disciples believe that one can attain personal tranquility and insights into
the true meaning of life through rigorous phusical and mental discipline.

III. POETRY

One of the oldest and most popular means of expression and communication in the Japanese culture. It
was an integral part of daily life in ancient Japanese society, serving as a means through which anyone
could chronicle experiences and express emotions.

A. The Manyoshu or ‘Book of Ten Thousand Leaves is an anthology by poets from a wide range of
social classes, including the peasantry, the clergy, and the ruling class.
B. There are different poems according to set forms or structures:
 CHOKA are poems that consist of alternate lines of five and seven syllables with an
additional seven-syllable line at the end. There is no limit to the number of lines which end
with envoys, or pithy summations. These envoys consist of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables that elaborate
on or summarize the theme or central idea of the main poem.

 TANKA is the most prevalent verse form in traditional Japanese literature. It consists of five
lines of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables including at least one caesura, or pause. Used as a means of
communication in ancient Japanese society, the tanka often tell a brief story or express a
single thought or insight and the common subjects are love and nature.

 RENGA is a chain of interlocking tanka. Each tanka within a renga was divided into verses of
17 and 14 syllables composed by different poets as it was fashionable for groups of poets to
work together during the age of Japanese feudalism.

 HOKKU was the opening verse of a renga which developed into a distinct literary form
known as the haiku. The haiku consist of 3 lines of 5-7-5 syllable characterized by precision,
simplicity, and suggestiveness. Almost all haiku include a kigo or seasonal words such as
snow or cherry blossoms that indicates the time of year being described.

IV. PROSE

Appeared in the early part of the 8th century focusing on Japanese history. During the Heian Age, the
members of the Imperial court, having few administrative or political duties, kept lengthy diaries and
experimented with writing fiction.

 THE TALE OF GENJI by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, a work of tremendous length and complexity, is
considered to be the world’s first true novel. It traces the life of a gifted and charming prince.
Lady Murasaki was an extraordinary woman far more educated than most upper-class men of
her generation. She was appointed to serve in the royal court of the emperor.
 THE TALE OF HAIKE written by an anonymous author during the 13th century was the most
famous early Japanese novel. It presents a striking portrait of war-torn Japan during the early
stages of the age of feudalism.

 ESSAYS IN IDLENESS by Yoshida Kenko was written during the age of feudalism. It is a loosely
organized collection of insights, reflections, and observations, written during the 14th century.
Kenko was born into a highranking Shinto family and became a Buddhist priest.

 IN THE GROVE by Ryunusuke Akutagawa is the author’s most famous story made into the film
Rashomon. The story asks these questions: What is the truth? Who tells the truth? How is the
truth falsified? Six narrators tell their own testimonies about the death of a husband and the
violation of his wife in the woods. The narrators include a woodcutter, a monk, an old woman,
the mother-in-law of the slain man, the wife, and finally, the dead man whose story is spoken
through the mouth of a shamaness. Akutagawa’s ability to blend a feudal setting with deep
psychological insights gives this story an ageless quality