Japanese Literature Flashcards
Japanese education Before 1200
learning was confined to the court circles.
Japanese education 1400-1500
military came to power and only priests were allowed
Japanese education 1600
general education began and reading became a popular pastime
large portion were written by
women
The Japanese are intensely….
proud of their history and take great care in keeping and preserving records
In cities there are professional…
professional storytellers who earn their livelihood by narrating legendary and historical tales
Japanese Language
- Before, spoken and written language were identical like English.
- With the study of Chinese literature, literary work in Japan were almost exclusively Chinese.
- A lot of Chinese characters were borrowed and integrated in Japanese writing.
- As of today, Japanese use Hiragana, Kanji and Katakana. Katakana is mostly used for loanwords.
Nihongi
(Chronicles of Japan). It tells the history of Japan in poetry and shows the profound influence of the Chinese.
Man’yōshū
A favorite of the Japanese. The oldest collection—compiles in 800 A.D.
Poetry writing is a required….
ability among the aristocratic and a require skill for promotion in court. Poetry is also used in courtship
Popular types of Japanese poetry that briefly describe bits of life, strikingly beautiful scenery, or lovely things that appeal to the senses are:
- Tanka - a five line poem with a total of 31 syllables; the first and third lines have five syllables and the others have seven
- Haiku - a three line poem with a total of 17 syllables; arranged in lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables
Kojiki
- Earliest Japanese literary work
- (Record of Ancient Matters)
- It relates the creation of the world, describes gods and goddesses of the mythological period
3 types of drama
- Noh play - the national theater of Japan and in the past, it was reserved for the nobility
- Joruri - puppet play with lifelike in size
- Kabuki - play for the masses which were less intellectual and more realistic
