Geane Louise J. Mendoza
BSBA-MM 4-5D

JAPANESE LITERATURE

I. History A. Ancient Literature (until 764)- “Nara Period” (AD 710 to 794) * Kan’ji- Logographic Chinese Characters which is first writing system used by Japanese that was introduce by Chinese. * Kana- are syllabic Japanese scripts, a part of the Japanese writing system contrasted with the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji. * 3 Kana Scripts: * Man’yogana- (old syllabic) * Katakana- (modern angular) * Hiragana – (modern cursive)

* IMPORTANT LITERATURES * Kojiki- ("An Account of Ancient Matters") (711-712) a historical record that also chronicles ancient Japanese mythology and folk songs. * Ō no Yasumaro (Died on August 15, 723) was a Japanese nobleman, bureaucrat, and chronicler. * Empress Genmei (Genmei-tennō 660 – December 29, 721), also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession * Urashima Tarō is a Japanese legend. * Nihon Shoki - sometimes translated as “The Chronicles of Japan”, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. * Fudoki-refer to the oldest records called Kofudoki written in the Nara period. * Rikkokushi-is a general term for Japan's six national histories. * Shoku Nihongi-is an imperially commissioned Japanese history text.

B. Classical literature (794–1185) “Heian period”
-Golden era of art and Literature. * Kogo Shūi is a historical record of the Inbe clan of Japan written in the early Heian period (794–1185).

* IMPORTANT LITERATURES * Genji Monogatari-“The Tale of Genji” (11th Century) considered the pre-eminent masterpiece of Heian fiction and an early example of a work of fiction in the form of a novel. * Kokin Wakashū ("Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times") * Waka (short poem) is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. * Makura no Sōshi (990s-) “The Pillow Book” is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon, an author and a court lady, during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 11th century in Heian Japan. * Zuihitsu is a genre of Japanese literature consisting of loosely connected personal essays and fragmented ideas that typically respond to the author's surroundings. * The Iroha is a Japanese poem, probably written in the Heian era (AD 794–1179). Originally the poem was attributed to the founder of the Shingon Esoteric sect of Buddhism in Japan, Kūkai, but more modern research has found the date of composition to be later in the Heian Period. * Taketori Monogatari- “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” also known as Princess Kaguya (Kaguya Hime) is a 10th-century Japanese folktale. It is considered the oldest extant Japanese prose narrative. * “Anthology of Tales from the Past” a collection of over a thousand stories in 31 volumes. The volumes cover various tales from India, China and Japan. In this time, the imperial court particularly patronized the poets, most of whom were courtiers or ladies-in-waiting.

C. Medieval Literature (1185-1603) * Japan experienced many civil wars which led to the development of a warrior class, and subsequent war tales, histories, and related stories. * Jinnō Shōtōki ("Chronicles of the Authentic Lineages of the Divine Emperors") is a Japanese historical book written by Kitabatake Chikafus. * The Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari) is an epic account compiled long prior 1330 of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185). * Hōjōki variously translated as An Account of My Hut or The Ten Foot Square Hut, is an important and popular short work of the early Kamakura period (1185–1333) in Japan by Kamo no Chōmei. * Kamo no Chōmei (1153 or 1155–1216) was a Japanese author, poet (in the waka form), and essayist. * Renga (collaborative poetry) is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry. * Haiku is now generally applied retrospectively to all hokku appearing independently of renku or renga, irrespective of when they were written. * Noh or Nogaku derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent"—is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. * Kyōgen (literally "mad words" or "wild speech") is a form of traditional Japanese comic theater.