Japanese Literature

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Japan
Japan
 Land of the Rising Sun
 An Archipelago with four

major Islands:
1. Hokkaido,
2. Honshu,
3. Shikoku, and
4. Kyushu.
Japanese Literature
Japanese literature
is one of the
major literatures
of the world,
comparable to
English literature
in age and variety.
History
 Possibly the earliest full-length novel, The Tale of
Genji was written in Japan in the early eleventh
century. In addition to novels, poetry, and drama, other
genres such as travelogues, personal diaries and
collections of random thoughts and impressions, are
prominent in Japanese literature.
 From the seventh century C.E., when the earliest

surviving works were written, until the present day,
there has never been a period when literature was not
being produced in Japan.
History: Cont.
 Japanese Literature is generally divided into three main
periods: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern.
 Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia

of writing. Early work was heavily influenced by Chinese
literature, but Japan quickly developed a style and quality
of its own.
 When Japan reopened its ports to Western trading and

diplomacy in the 19th century, Western Literature had a
strong effect on Japanese writers, and this influence is still
seen today.
Ancient Literature
(until 894)
 Before the introduction of kanji ( 漢字 , lit. "Chinese
characters") from China, there was no writing system in Japan.
 At first, Chinese characters were used in Japanese syntactical

formats, and the literary language was classical Chinese;
resulting in sentences that looked like Chinese but were
phonetically read as Japanese.
 Chinese characters were used, not for their meanings, but

because they had a phonetic sound which resembled a
Japanese word.
Kanji
 Modification of the normal usage of Chinese characters to
accommodate Japanese names and expressions is already
evident in the oldest known inscription, on a sword dating
from about 440 C.E.
 The use of Chinese characters initiated a centuries-long

association of literary composition with the art of
calligraphy.
 Chinese characters were later adapted to write Japanese

speech, creating what is known as the man'yōgana, the
earliest form of kana, or syllabic writing. The earliest
works were created in the Nara Period.
 These include Kojiki (712: a work recording Japanese
mythology and legendary history,
 Nihonshoki (720; a chronicle with a slightly more solid

foundation in historical records than Kojiki, and
 Man'yōshū (Ten Thousand Leaves, 759); an anthology of

poetry.
History: Cont.
 More than 120 songs in

the Kojiki and Nihonshoki were written in
phonetic transcription, and parts of the Kojiki
contain a mixture of Chinese characters used
to represent their Chinese meanings, and
Chinese characters used to represent a
phonetic sound.
Kojiki (( 古事記 )
Classical Literature
(894 - 1194;
the Heian period)
 Classical Japanese literature generally refers to

literature produced during the Heian Period, considered
as the golden era of both art and literature.
 In the resplendent aristocratic culture that thrived early

in the eleventh century, a time when the use of the
hiragana alphabet derived from Chinese characters
had become widespread, court ladies played the central
role in developing literature.
 One of them, Murasaki Shikibu wrote the 54-
chapter novel Genji monogatari (Tale of Genji)
[in early 11 century, ca 1008],
 Sei Shonagon, wrote Makura no soshi (The

Pillow Book), a diverse collection of jottings and
essays [around 996].
 The Tale of Genji (early eleventh century) by Murasaki
Shikibu is considered the pre-eminent masterpiece of
Heian fiction and an early example of a work of fiction in
the form of a novel.
 Other important works of this period include the Kokin

Wakashū (905, waka poetry anthology) and
 The Pillow Book (990s), an essay about the life, loves, and
pastimes of nobles in the Emperor's court written by
Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival, Sei Shonagon.
Medieval Literature (1195 -
1600)
 Medieval Japanese Literature is marked by the strong
influence of Zen Buddhism, and many writers were priests,
travelers, or ascetic poets.
 Also during this period, Japan experienced many civil wars

which led to the development of a warrior class, and a
widespread interest in war tales, histories, and related
stories.
 Work from this period is notable for its insights into life
and death, simple lifestyles, and redemption through killing.
 A representative work is The Tale of the Heike (1371), an
epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and
Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the twelfth
century.
 Other important tales of the period include Kamo no

Chōmei's Hōjōki (1212) and Yoshida Kenko
's Tsurezuregusa (1331).
 Other notable genres in this period were renga, or linked

verse, and Noh theater.
Early-Modern Literature or the
Edo Period (1600-1868)
 The literature of this time was written during the
generally peaceful Tokugawa Period (commonly
referred to as the Edo Period).
 Due in large part to the rise of the working and

middle classes in the new capital of Edo
(modern Tokyo), forms of popular drama
developed which would later evolve into kabuki.
 The joruri and kabuki dramatist Chikamatsu
Monzaemon became popular at the end of the
seventeenth century.
 Matsuo Bashō wrote Oku no Hosomichi ( 奥の細

道 , 1702), a travel diary. Hokusai, perhaps
Japan's most famous woodblock print artist, also
illustrated fiction as well as his famous 36 Views
of Mount Fuji.
 Two giants emerged in the field of prose:
1. Ihara Saikaku, who realistically portrayed the life of
Osaka merchants (is credited with creating the current
awareness of the novel in Japan)
2. Chikamatsu Monzaemon, who wrote joruri, a form of

storytelling involving chanted lines, and kabuki plays.
 These writers brought about a great flowering of

literature.
 Many genres of literature made their début during the
Edo Period, inspired by a rising literacy rate among
the growing population of townspeople, as well as the
development of lending libraries.
 Although there was a minor Western influence

trickling into the country from the Dutch settlement at
Nagasaki, it was the importation of Chinese vernacular
fiction that proved the greatest outside influence on
the development of early modern Japanese fiction.
Carousel Discussion
 Group 1- Meiji Period Literature
 Group 2- Taisho Period Literature
 Group 3- Early Showa Literature
 Group 4- Post-War Literature
 Group 5- Contemporary Literature

Japanese Literature

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Preliminary Activities:

 An Archipelago with four

 From the seventh century C.E., when the earliest

 Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia

 When Japan reopened its ports to Western trading and

 At first, Chinese characters were used in Japanese syntactical

 Chinese characters were used, not for their meanings, but

 The use of Chinese characters initiated a centuries-long

 Chinese characters were later adapted to write Japanese

 Nihonshoki (720; a chronicle with a slightly more solid

 Man'yōshū (Ten Thousand Leaves, 759); an anthology of

 More than 120 songs in

 Classical Japanese literature generally refers to

 In the resplendent aristocratic culture that thrived early

 Sei Shonagon, wrote Makura no soshi (The

 Other important works of this period include the Kokin

 Also during this period, Japan experienced many civil wars

 Other important tales of the period include Kamo no

 Other notable genres in this period were renga, or linked

 Due in large part to the rise of the working and

 Matsuo Bashō wrote Oku no Hosomichi ( 奥の細

2. Chikamatsu Monzaemon, who wrote joruri, a form of

 These writers brought about a great flowering of

 Although there was a minor Western influence

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