Reaction Against Chinese Influence Flashcards
What is the significance of Ono Takamura in relation to the Chinese missions.
Ono no Takamura (小野 篁), 802 – February 3, 853, was an early Heian period scholar and poet.
It 834, he refused to take his appointment as deputy leader on a mission to China signifying a growing dislike of those voyages.
In 838, all missions ceased.
Hirigana
The word hiragana literally means “ordinary” or “simple” kana.
The forms of the hiragana originate from the cursive script style of Chinese calligraphy.
This made it possible to write Japanese words in a running hand that was easy and pleasing to the eye. The encouragement and stimulation to Japanese literature was remarkable. tales and poems and intimate letters could now be written in Japanese in a style near to everyday speech by those who had little knowledge of Chinese.
The Tale of Genji
Original manuscript, created around the peak of the Heian period, that no longer exists. The work is a unique depiction of the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period. It is written in archaic language and a poetic yet confusing style that make it unreadable to the average Japanese person without dedicated study.
The writer likes to show her acquaintance with Chinese literature but speaks up in favor of native speech and makes fun of what is pretentious and “Chinesy”.
