Japanese Literature

The Land of the Rising Sun

 Amazing Facts about Japan!

1. Japan is known now as a developed country which is famous of its
inventions, companies and arts.
2. Japan as a country has a past with its styles in its own tradition, in
clothing, building and foods.-Clothing: Japanese people used their
traditional clothing in the past, now they wear it just in special occasions
3. Japanese Literature is one of the major literatures of the world comparable
to English literature in age and variety.
4. In Japan, it is unethical to eat or drink while walking.
5. The National sport of Japan is called Sumo.
6. Japan prohibited people with tattoos to enter Japanese hot springs and
Public bathhouses.
7. In Japan, slurping is a sign of compliment to the chef.
8. There are 4 different systems in Japan: romaji, katakana, hiragana and
kaji.
9. Crooked teeth or Yaeba are considered attractive in Japan.
10. Japan has the third longest life expectancy in the world with men living to
81 years old and women living to almost 88 years old. The Japanese live
on the average four years longer than Americans.

 Japanese Religion/Beliefs
1. Shintoism
 Shintoism is based on a belief in, and worship of, kami. Kami can be
elements of the landscapes or forces of nature.
 Shintoism has no gods.
 It simply focuses on discovering ways of communicating with kami.
 The focus of Shintoism is on the ritual of offering to the kami and
communicating with it.
 The people who practice is (mainly the Japanese) view Shintoism as a
part of their culture and way of life more than as a religion.
o Kami:
 Essences (or spirits) that exist in and influence the world around us.
 Kami respond to human prayers.
 They can influence the course of natural forces and human events, either
to answer the prayer or because the kami wishes to do so.
 They are a part of the world. They do not exist outside of it as some
deities do.

2. Zen Buddhism
 Zen Buddhism is a mixture of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism.
 It began in China, spread to Korea and Japan, and became very popular
in the West from the mid-20th century.
 The essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life
directly, without being misled by logical thought or language.
 Zen techniques are compatible with other faiths and are often used, for
example, by Christians seeking a mystical understanding of their faith.
 Zen often seems paradoxical - it requires an intense discipline which,
when practised properly, results in total spontaneity and ultimate freedom.
This natural spontaneity should not be confused with impulsiveness.

 Prose and Poetry

o Poetry
 Japanese poetry is poetry of or typical of Japan, or written, spoken, or
chanted in the Japanese language, which includes Old Japanese, Early
Middle Japanese, Late Middle Japanese, and Modern Japanese, and
some poetry in Japan which was written in the Chinese
language or ryūka from the Okinawa Islands: it is possible to make a more
accurate distinction between Japanese poetry written in Japan or by
Japanese people in other languages versus that written in the Japanese
language by speaking of Japanese-language poetry.

a. Manyoshu
 Manyoshu or “Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves” is an anthology of
ancient Japanese poems compiled c. 759 CE during the Nara Period but
including many earlier works.
 The poems date from between 600 C.E. and 759 C.E., and were written
by every class of person, from emperors to merchants and farmers.
Kaku bakari koitsutsu arazu wa takayama no
Iwane shi makite shinamashi momo o
 (I would rather die with a rock for a pillow on a high mountain than
continue living with so much yearning for you.)

Thematic Statement: Death is much gratifying than the misery of longing.

Utsusemi shi kami ne aeneba hanareite asa

Nageku kimi sakariite a ga kouru kimi tama
Naraba te ni makimochite kinu naraba nakutoki
Mo naku a ga kouru kimi zo kizo no yo ime ni mietsuru

(As a flesh-and-blood person, I am powerless against the will of the gods.

Separated from you, I grieve for you in the morning. Kept away, I yearn for
you. If you were a jewel, I would wrap you round my wrist. If you were a
robe, I would never take you off. Lord whom I long for so much, last night I
saw you in my dream. )

Thematic Statement: The plans and desires that we have becomes

nothing against the will of God.

b. Tanka
 Tanka is non-rhyming Japanese poetry form composed in five lines, in 5-
7-5-7-7 format, 31 syllables in total.
 A thirty –one-syllable poem, traditionally written in a single unbroken line

Fireflies

We ran gleefully
Chasing the summer fireflies
Putting them in jars
Those warm nights of our childhood-
They flickered, and then were gone

Thematic statement:
Childhood flares the warmth of innocence but adulthood vanish the
light.
 Somebody

Beauty is skin deep

Loneliness is in my soul
Look at the real me
For I am not just beauty
I am somebody to love.

Thematic Statement: Love is more than what we see.

c. Haiku
 Unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of
5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively.
 Haiku is about nature and plays with the imagery, metaphors and
emotions of seasons.

An old silent pond…..

A frog jumps into the pond,
Splash! Silence again.

- Yosa Buson

Thematic Statement: People come and go.

Deep hurt is deep love

Love equals forgiveness too:
I now forgive you

- Ghada Shabender

Thematic Statement: When there is love, there is forgiveness.

d. Renga
 Genre Japanese linked-verse in which two or more poets supplied
alternating sections of a poem.
 The Renga form began as the composition of a single tanka by two people
and was popular pastime from ancient times, even in remote rural areas.
His Very Beautiful Poetry~
 His beautiful poems
Give me so much joy to read
They ooze of romance

Inside them there's so much love

Never get tired reading them

Always within you

Flying without wings I soar
Essence of a rose

In your pages I can dream Love

Your words warmly whispering.

Thematic Statement: Words make love magical.

Scents of Crysanthemums
And in Narra
All the ancient Buddhas

MATSUO BASHO

Thematic Statement:
The ancient times bring happiness in the present.

o Prose
a. Murasaki Shikibu
 She was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial
court during the Heian period.
 She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written
in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012.
 A novelist and court attendant of Empress Akiko of Japan.
 Also known as Lady Murasaki, her real name is not known.
 “Murasaki” means “violet” and may have been taken from a character in
The Tale of Genji.
 She was born a member of the cultural Fujiwara family of Japan.
 The Tale of Genji
The Tale of Genji centers on the life and loves of a handsome son,
Hikaru Genji born to an Emperor during the Hein Period. In the story, the
beloved concubine of the Emperor gives birth to Genji and dies soon after.
Raised within the Royal Family, Genji has his first illicit affair with
Fujitsubo, the young wife of the Emperor. She gives birth to a boy who
was raised by the unknowing Emperor as his own son. Although feeling
guilty because of this affair Genji goes on to have numerous other affairs
with other court ladies including Utsusemi, Yugao, Murasaki-no-ue, and
Hanachirusato.
At one point, Genji's adultery with a lady of the opposite faction
results in his being exiled for a period to Suma After a short time, he
returns to the capital, where he rises further in status and position being
appointed to high official ranking reaching the apogee of his career.
However, his newly wed young bride, Onna-Sannomiya, has an illicit affair
that results in a child, Kaoru, reminding Genji of his own similar past
actions. Then Murasaki-no-ue, Genji's real love and wife, in fact, if not in
law, of more than twenty years, passes away. Left in deep despondence
Genji decides to leave the capital to enter a small mountain temple.
The Tale of Genji continues, although without the hero Genji. In his
place are Kaoru, his grandson, and Niou-no-miya, Kaoru's friend. These
two youths carry on the Genji tradition with the princesses in the palace at
Uji. The story centers on the young lady, Ukibune, whose heart and mind
is set a flutter by the courtship of these two young men.

Thematic Statement: What’s meant to happen will truly happen.

b. Sei Shonagon
 She was a diarist, poet, and courtier whose witty, learned Pillow
Book (Makura no sōshi) exhibits a brilliant and original Japanese prose
style and is a masterpiece of classical Japanese literature.
 Sei Shōnagon was the daughter of the poet Kiyohara Motosuke and was
in the service of the empress Teishi (Sadako) at the capital of Heian-kyō
(Kyōto) from about 993 to 1000.
 Sei Shōnagon’s ready wit and intelligence secured her place in Teishi’s
court.
 Her ability to catch allusions or to compose in an instant a verse exactly
suited to each occasion is evident throughout her Pillow Book
 Legend states that Sei Shōnagon spent her old age in misery and
loneliness, though that is likely an invention.

Quotes from the Pillow Book

“A man who has nothing in particular to recommend him discusses all

sorts of subjects at random as if he knew everything.”

“In life there are two things which are dependable: the pleasures of the
flesh and pleasures of literature.”

“To wash your hair, apply your makeup and put on clothes that are well-
scented with incense. Even if you’re somewhere where no one special will
see you you still feel a heady sense of pleasure inside.”

Thematic Statement:
There are enjoyments and reflections that sprout from the observation.

c. Yoshida Kenko
 His original name was Urabe Kaneyoshi, (born c. 1283, Kyōto?—
died c. 1350/52, near Kyōto?), Japanese poet and essayist, the
outstanding literary figure of his time.
 His collection of essays, Tsurezuregusa (c. 1330; Essays in
Idleness, 1967), became, especially after the 17th century, a basic part of
Japanese education, and his views have had a prominent place in
subsequent Japanese life.
 He early served at court and took Buddhist orders after the death of the
emperor Go-Uda in 1324.
 His poetry is conventional, but the essays of Tsurezuregusa display a
perceptiveness and wit that have delighted readers since the 14th century.

Excerpts from Essays in Idleness (Sample)

 We were to live on forever---- were the dews of Adashino never to vanish,
the smoke on Toribeyama never to fade away --- indeed would men not
feel pity of things … Truky the beauty of life is its uncertainty.
Are we to look at flowers in full bloom, at the moon when it is clear? Nay,
to look out on the rain and long for the moon, to draw the lines and not be
aware of the passing of spring – these arouse even deeper feelings. There
is much to be seen in young boughs about to flower, in gardens strewn
with withered blossoms.
There is a charm about a neat and proper dwelling house, although this
world. ‘tis true, is but a temporary abode. … The man is to be envied who
lives in a house, not of the modern, garish kind, but set among venerable
trees, with a garden where plans grow wild and yet seem to have been
disposed with care. …
… A room with sliding doors is lighter than one with doors or hinges. …
as for construction, people agree in admiring a place with plenty of spare
room, as being pleasing to the eye and at the same time useful for all
sorts of purposes.

Thematic Statement: Faith anchors us in the rock of wisdom and

righteousness when tides of life come crashing down.

d. Kikuchi Kan
 A playwright, novelist and founder of one of the majors publishing
Companies in Japan.
 He was born on December 26, 1888, in Takamatsu Japan and died on
March 6, 1948 in Tokyo, Japan.

The Madman on the Roof

A father named Gisuke was concerned about his 24 year old

son, Yoshitaro who climbs on the roof to watch the sunset. One day,
Gisuke tried to meke his son to climb down off the roof. But, no matter
how hard Gisuke tried, his son won't still climb down. So, he ordered,
Kichiji, their servant to get Yoshitaro on the roof. Kichiji went outside to get
a ladder.Tosaku, their neighbor, entered the house and noticed what is
happening in the house. And recognized that it was Yoshitaro again on the
roof. Then Tosaku recommended a Holy woman that could cure
Yoshitaro. The Holy Woman came to the house and she said that
 Yoshitaro was possessed by an evil spirit. As they was on the healing
procedure of Yoshitaro, Suejiro entered and rescued his brother
Yoshitaro. Suejiro defended and reasoned out his brother's condition with
their parents. Telling them that Yoshitaro was not possessed by an evil
spirit rather have a serious condition. Then, their parents understand and
accepted the truth about their elder son, Yoshitaro. In the end, Brotherly
love prevails and made the family unite and compromise.

Thematic Statement:
Do not judge based on your limited capacity to understand,
everyone have different perceptions in life.

The Tale of Heike

(Unknown)
“The Tale of the Heike” is not only an important historical
document, but a work of great power and beauty. It’s easy to understand
why its memorable scenes have inspired so many artists. Kiyomori
ignores the oracular warnings that his arrogance will bring about his clan’s
demise — even when the snowy forms in his garden transform into the
skulls of men whose death he has ordered: “A mountain of skulls, now
suddenly crammed with living eyes,/ all of them training on Lord Kiyomori
an unblinking gaze.”
When it’s clear the Heike have been utterly defeated at Dan-no-
Ura, the redoubtable Lady Nii takes her grandson, the child emperor
Antoku, in her arms, telling him, “Down there, far beneath the waves,/
another capital awaits us,” and leaps into sea.
One of the great tales of Bushido, the samurai code of conduct, “The
Tale of the Heike” overflows with accounts of battles, feats of derring-do,
tender love affairs, descriptions of armor and heroes evoking their noble
lineage as they challenge each other in duels. In places, “Tale” may
remind Western readers of Sir Walter Scott — or Tolkien at his most
fulsome.

Thematic Statement: Arrogance brings no good results.

e. Yasunari Kawabata
 Kawabata Yasunari, (born June 11, 1899, Ōsaka, Japan—died April 16,
1972, Zushi), Japanese novelist who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1968.
 The sense of loneliness and preoccupation with death that permeates
much of Kawabata’s mature writing possibly derives from the loneliness of
his childhood.
 He was a son of a highly-cultivated physician, was born in 1899 in Osaka.

NOH Plays
 Its name derived from nō, meaning “talent” or “skill”—is unlike Western
narrative drama.
 Noh performers are simply storytellers who use their visual appearances
and their movements to suggest the essence of their tale rather than to
enact it. Little “happens” in a Noh drama, and the total effect is less that of
a present action than of a simile or metaphor made visual.
 Noh developed from ancient forms of dance drama and from various types
of festival drama at shrines and temples that had emerged by the 12th or
13th century.

SIX types of Noh plays

1. kami (“god”) play , involves a sacred story of a Shintō shrine;
2. shura mono (“fighting play”) , centers on warriors.
3. katsura mono (“wig play”), has a female protagonist.
4. gendai mono (“present-day play”), in which the story is contemporary and
“realistic” rather than legendary and supernatural, and the kyōjo
mono (“madwoman play”), in which the protagonist becomes insane
through the loss of a lover or child.
5. kiri or kichiku (“final” or “demon”) play, features devils, strange beasts,
and supernatural beings. A typical Noh play is relatively short.
6. kyojo mono (“madwoman play”) , in which the protagonist becomes
insane through the loss of a lover or child.