Japanese Literature

Life and Nature as One

You have recently
watched this
This shows how the truth and their views
affect their lives
The Idea of Life

For a Japanese, Truth is relative.

Goodness and badness are relative, because of time.

There’s a difference about time (clear-cut situation) and moment

(for the time being).
3 Ways of Japanese Living
1. Japanese aesthetics Balance in Perspectives and Beauty

*You must have experienced (senses) everything.

2. Deterministic view of man

Summation of everything/endpoint

*You are shape into three levels:

a. Race b. Milleu (time and place) c. power of the moment

3 Ways of Japanese Living
3. Power of the moment

Connected to:
Shame vs Guilt
Japanese doesn’t have guilt
Example: WHY:
*It was asked by the moment, thus the
Samurai
title, and it has a purpose
Harakiri - seppaku (heroic)
You have recently
watched this
This shows how the nature and spirits
affect their lives
 Kami
Spirits that roam around the land
 Oni
Monsters or demonic creatures that are
represented as ogres or trolls roaming
around the Earth
 Yokai
This is a class of supernatural monsters,
spirits and demons in Japanese folklore.
Shintoism (way of gods)
● Kami - also known as the Shinto gods
● Humans believe that they become kami as they die, thus their attachment to nature
● Families build shrines for their kamis to live in
● The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered as the most important god
● Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and
evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits.
● Matsuri - Japanese festivals to celebrate and honor shrines
● Miko - shrine maiden or caretakers that are usually daughters of priest
● Shinto became the main religion in Japan’s Meiji Period
Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami.
 Omamori
These are said to provide various forms
of luck or protection. The word mamori
(守り) means protection, with omamori
being the sonkeigo (honorific) form of
the word, "to protect".
 Ofuda
These are charms, wards, or scriptures
that are said to bring the bearer good
luck or protection as well as other things
depending upon what is written on them,
and are usually sold at Shinto shrines.
 Kigo
This refers to nature itself
Japanese Literature
 Poverty’s Child
He starts to grind the rice
And gazes at the moon.
Far off mountain peaks
Reflected in the eyes
The dragonfly.
 Fuji alone
Left unburied
By young green leaves.
Joy - 喜び Kindness - 親切 Strength - 力
Happiness - 幸福 Success - 成功 Patience - 忍耐
Love - 愛 Contentment - 満足 Industriousness - 勤勉さ
Hope - 希望 Faith - 信仰 Good Health - 健勝
Luck - 運 Safety - 安全性 Wealth - 富
Wisdom - 知恵 Guidance - ガイダンス Humility - 謙虚

Courage - 勇気 Grant all your wishes - す

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