Japanese

Literature
World Literature
Land Area: 378,000 square
kilometers
Population: 123, 294, 513
(2023)
Capital City: Tokyo
Government: Parliamentary
system
Monetary unit: Japanese Yen
or JPY
Japanese
Letters
 Japanese did not have letters
until Chinese introduced their letters
in second or third century. After then
the Japanese started using Chinese
letters. Of course ancient Japanese
used these letters for learning
Chinese progressed culture. As you
know, Chinese letters are basically
ideograms that were originally
pictograph and every single letter
has its own meaning.
 For example, the letter for turtle is
亀 . This letter is simplifed one as
compared to original one but still
the shape of turtle is obvious.
Roughly saying, average Japanese
can read letters of 5,000 or more but
can write down 2,000 or less. At
elementary school and junior high
school, 1,800 of letters are taught.
 The modern Japanese writing
system uses three main scripts:
 Kanji, ideographs from Chinese
characters,
 Kana, a pair of syllabaries, consisting
of

Hiragana, used for native Japanese
words, and

Katakana, used for foreign
loanwords and sometimes to
replace kanji or hiragana for
emphasis.
Japanese
Literature
 Japan Literature is one of the
major literatures of the world
comparable to the English
literature in age and variety.

 Japan is known as Nippon or

the Land of the Rising Sun
 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.
The Period of Japanese
Literature

• Ancient Literature
• Classical Literature
• Medieval Literature
• Modern Literature
Edo Period
Meiji Period
Post-war Japan
Contemporary Literature
 ANCIENT LITERATURE
Two of the oldest Japanese Literature:

 Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matter)

-relates to the creation of the world,
describes the gods and goddess of the
mythological period, and contains facts
about ancient Japan.

 Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan)

- tells the history of Japan in poetry and
shows the profound influence of Chinese.
CLASSICAL LITERATURE

The Heian Period, refered to

as the golden era of Japanese
art and literature.

• Man'yoshu (collection of
Myriad Leaves)
-the oldest collection of
Japanese poetry collected in
the year 800.
CLASSICAL LITERATURE

Genji Monogatari(The Tale

of Genji)
-written by court lady named
Murasaki Shikibu is
considered the pre-eminent
masterpiece of Heian fiction
and the first example of a
work of fiction in the form of
a novel.
 MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
 Japan experienced many civil wars which led to
the development of a warrior class, and
subsequent war tales, histories, and related
stories.

 Work from this period is notable for its insights

into life and death, simple lifestyles and
seppuku.

 Tale of the Heike , an epic account of the

struggle between two clans for control of Japan
at the end of the twelfth century.
 EDO PERIOD
 The Tokugawa Period is commonly
referred to as the Edo Period.The
capital of Japan moved from Kyoto
to Edo (modern Tokyo)

 Scholarly work continued to be

published in Chinese, which was the
language of the learned much as
latin was in Europe.
 EDO PERIOD
Chikamatsu Monzaemon , a
Kabuki dramatist, known as the
Japan's Shakespeare.

 Many genres of literature made

their debut during the Edo
Period , helped by a rising
literacy rate among the growing
population of towns people, as
well as the development of
lending libraries.
 EDO PERIOD
The importation of Chinese
vernacular fiction that proved the
greatest outside influence on the
development of early modern
Japanese fiction.

 Genres included horror, crime

stories, morality stories, comedy,
and pornography --often
accompanied by colorful woodcut
prints.
 MEIJI PERIOD
 The Meiji Period marks the re-
opening of Japan to the west,
and a period of rapid
industrialization.

 The introduction of European

literature brought free verse into
the poetic repertoire. It became
widely used for longer works
embodying new intellectual
themes.
 MEIJI PERIOD
Young Japanese prose writers and
dramatists struggled with a whole galaxy
of new ideas and artistic schools, but
novelists were the first to assimilate some
of these concepts successfully.

 War-time Japan saw the debut of
several authors best known for the
beauty of their language and their tales
of love and sensuality.

 MEIJI PERIOD

 Kawabata Yasunari, for his

narrative mastery, which
with great sensibility
expresses the essence of
the Japanese mind became
Japan's first winner of the
Nobel Prize for literature.
 POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY
LITERATURE
• World war II, and Japan's defeat,
deeply influenced Japanese
Literature. Many authors wrote stories
of disaffection, loss of purpose, and
the coping with defeat.

• Prominent writers of the 1970s and

1980s were identified with intellectual
and moral issues in their attempts to
raise social and political
consciousness
 POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY
LITERATURE
• Modern Japanese writers covered a wide
variety of subjects, one particularly Japanese
approach stressed their subjects inner lives,
widening their earlier novel's preoccupation
with the narrator's consciousness.

• In Japanese fiction , plot development and

action have often been of secondary interest
to emotional issues. In keeping with the
general trend toward reaffirming national
characteristics, many old themes re-
emerged , and some authors turned
consciously to the past.
 The main Characteristics of
japanese Literature
Writing system: one of the most relevant
features, especially referring to the
development of literature in Japan, has to
do with the writing system that is beginning
to be used, since they use the kanji as the
official form of writing, as they used the
hanzi, a foreign writing system and that
belonged to China, where later appears
the manyogana, which will be the first
attempt of the Japanese to consolidate a
writing system of their own.
Oral tradition: even with the
influence that Japan received from
China, Japanese literature will
show in its development
manifestations that reflect their
cultural practices such as rites,
folklore and, in general, the religion
they followed. This, as well as
reflecting in Japanese literature the
importance and weight of the oral
tradition in their region.
Kataribe: In Japanese literature,
the kataribe is a person who is in
charge of reciting the stories of the
population, thus playing a decisive
role in the preservation of primitive
oral narratives, since in addition to
this he transmits not only facts or
events of great importance, but also
all kinds of content related to the
myths and legends of the region.
External influence: although Japanese
literature was greatly influenced by foreign
cultures, such as China and the West, this
was not a determining factor for the
production of literature in the area as such,
given that despite the influence, Japan
developed important works and formats that
today make it one of the most important
reference points in world literature. This is
largely due to the cultural content of its
works, where aspects such as the customs
of the populations, behaviors, traditions and
habits are observed.
Nostalgic tinge: another of the
most relevant aspects of Japanese
literature has to do with the
expressive inclination of its content,
given that, in the case of novels in
particular, the themes dealt with by
Japanese authors are somber,
melancholic, nostalgic and sad,
which is why Japanese literature is
usually associated with a sensitive
and moving panorama.
 JAPANESE DRAMA

Noh Play
- the national theatre of Japan, which was
originally reserved for the nobility. Legend
says that the Noh dance was invented by the
gods
Joruri Play
- a puppet play or doll theater wherein the
dolls are beautifully made and life-like in size.
Kabuki
- the play for the masses. It is less intellectual
and more realistic, even sensational.
 JAPANESE POETRY
 Japanese Poetry is known as
Waka.

 They are composed for the gods

 Japanese poetry is highly

influenced by Chinese poetry

 Following classical Chinese poetry

Known as “Kamshi”.
Haiku
 Japanese Poetry
 Haiku is a poetic form and a type of
poetry from the Japanese culture.
 Haiku combines form, content,
and language in a meaningful, yet
compact form.
 Many themes include nature, feelings,
or experiences.
 Usually they use simple words
and grammar.
 The most common form for Haiku is three
short lines.

 The first line usually contains five (5)

syllables, the second line seven (7)
syllables, and the third line contains five (5)
syllables.

 Haiku doesn't rhyme.

 A Haiku must "paint" a mental image in the

reader's mind.
 Examples
“The Old Pond” by Matsuo Bashō

An old silent pond

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

“Over the Wintry” by Natsume Sōseki

Over the wintry

Forest, winds howl in rage
With no leaves to blow.
TANKA
 Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry
that dates back to the 8th century.
 It was initially known as Waka, which
means “Japanese poem.”
 Tanka, which means “short song,”
emerged as a distinct form of Waka in
the 13th century.
 Tanka is a lyrical, five-line poem that
consists of 31 syllables. It is often
described as a “longer Haiku”
because of its structure.
  The traditional structure of Tanka
consists of 31 syllables arranged in
a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern.

 Tanka traditionally deals with themes

of love, nature, and the passage of
time. Many tanka poems express
feelings of longing, melancholy, and
nostalgia. The themes of tanka often
revolve around nature, such as the
changing of the seasons, the beauty
of flowers, and the sound of rain.
Examples
A cool winds blows in
With a blanket of silence.
Straining to listen
For those first few drops of
rain,
The storm begins in
earnest.
FAMOUS JAPANESE
AUTHORS
1.Murasaki Shikibu (c. 978 – c. 1014)

-Murasaki Shikibu is a representative author

of classic Japanese literature. Considered the
world’s first novel by many, her Tales of
Genji depicts court life during the Heian
Period (794 – 1185) in detail. Her works are
key examples of classical Japanese
aesthetics, style and literary virtuosity.

Notable Works: Tales of Genji; The Diary of

Lady Murasaki
2.Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694)

-Matsuo Basho is a master of Haiku

poems from the Edo period (1603 –
1868).
- He was considered the father of haiku
had studied Taoism and classical Chinese
poetry in his youth.

Notable Works: The Narrow Road of

Deep North; Account of Exposure to the
Fields
3 .Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653 –
1725)

-Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a popular

dramatist of puppet theatre and kabuki
theatre from the Edo period (1603 –
1863).
-His works include historical romances
and domestic tragedies, and often explore
the conflict between duty and passion.

Notable Works: The Love Suicides at

Sonezaki; The Love Suicides at Amijima;
4. Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892 – 1927)

-Called the father of Japanese short stories,

Akutagawa Ryunosuke is one of the foremost
writers from the Taisho era (1912 – 1926).
-Representative of neo-realism in the mid-
1910s, Akutagawa often reinterprets classical
works with modern sensibilities. In many of his
works, Akutagawa explores the formation of
cultural identity and universality of literature.

Notable Works: Rashomon; The Nose; Hell

Screen
5. Edogawa Ranpo (1894 – 1965)

-Edogawa Ranpo is the leading figure in the

development of Japanese horror, mystery and
detective fiction.
-Heavily influenced by the writings of Edgar
Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, Edogawa
Ranpo’s narrative styles are characterised by
logical reasoning, grotesque nonsensical
imagery and psychological horror.

Notable Works: The Case of the Murder on D.

Hill; The Stalker in the Attic; The Human
Chair
6.Kawabata Yasunari (1899 – 1972)

- is a recognized novelist from the Showa era

(1926 – 1989) and the first Japanese author to
win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968.
- His works follow a lyrically narrative prose of
neo-sensualism similar to traditional Japanese
literary aesthetics. His works often explores the
theme of beauty and sadness of life, as well as
the evanescence of the old past.

Notable Works: Thousand Cranes; Snow

Country; The Sound of the Mountain
7. Murakami Haruki (1949 -)

-One of the most popular Japanese authors

today, Murakami Haruki is a world-
renowned novelist of magical realist
fiction.
- Influenced by Western writers, he often
uses surrealistic, melancholic and fatalistic
narratives to explore themes of alienation,
loneliness and understanding of the core of
human identity.

Notable Works: Norwegian Wood; 1Q84;

 The Tale of the Genji
Written by Japanese writer Murasaki Shikibu
in the 11th century, is generally regarded as
the earliest novel in any culture and as the
greatest masterpiece of japanese literature. In
this scene from the novel, Prince Genji is
visiting with his favorite wife, Murasaki,
while watching his housemaids , whom he
has sent outside to build a snowman. The
novel is remarkable for its detailed depiction
of the refined culture of Heian -period Japan.
 Man'yoshu ( collection of ten
thousand leaves)
The Man'yoshu , the oldest collection of Japanese
poetry , was compiled in the 8th century and
consists of more than 4000 poems, some of which
date from as early as 5th century. While consisting
mainly of 31 syllable poems (tanka, also called
Waka), it also contains many examples of long
poems (choka) . The subject matter of the poems
varies from travel descriptions to elegies and
poems of love and loss. The Man'yoshu poems are
direct and accessible to any audience unfamiliar
with Japanese culture and the conventions of
Japanese poetry.
 The Tale of the Heike ( ca.
1250)
The Tale of the Heike is a warrior epic of the
historic battles between the Genji (minamoto
clan) and the Heike ( Taira clan) between 1169
and 1185. The Tale follows the rise of the
Heike, their arrogance and abuse of power , and
their destruction at the hands of the Genji.
Students who are interested in the transition to
and the rise of the warrior class in Japanese
history will find this a content rich work.