Grade 8 Japanese Literature

Japanese Literature

はじめに

日本文学

Contentso Facts About Japano Japanese Styleso Japanese LiteratureoJapanese Ceremonies

FACTS ABOUT JAPANNippon -- “Land of the Rising Sun”

FACTS ABOUT JAPAN

Japan is now known as a developed country, which is famous because of its inventions, companies and arts. Here we are going to reveal some Japanese cultures, and some of their heritage that have a great effect on their culture.

JAPANESE STYLES

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.

Yukata “for men”, Kimono “for women”, Zori “sandals” .

Buildings & Gardens:

In Japan there are many different buildings and gardens, that are a big part of its culture. They do not actually come from Japan, their ideas come from China.

JAPANESE STYLES

Japanese Literature is one

of the major literatures of the

world comparable to English

literature in age and variety.

JAPANESE LITERATURE

Japanese Literature is one of the major bodies of Oriental Literature. It is less voluminous than Chinese Literature but comparable to Arabic, Persian and Indian Literature. It covers the period from the fifth century A.D to the present.

JAPANESE LITERATURE

Poems and odes to the Gods were composed in the early Japanese Language before the art of writing was known in Japan. Only fragments of this Literature have survived, but these are thought to have been extensive. During the first centuries of writing in Japan, the spoken language and written language were identical.

JAPANESE LITERATURE

The Tale of 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.

JAPANESE LITERATURE

Classical and Heian Period (700-1185)

Man’yoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) (ca. 700-750)

The Man’yoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry, was compiled in the 8th century and consists of more than 4,000 poems, some of which date from as early as the 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. There are also poems reflecting Chinese and Buddhist influences. The Man’yoshu poems are direct and accessible to any audience unfamiliar with Japanese culture and the conventions of Japanese poetry.

Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Child’s Play (1895-96) by Higuchi Ichiyo (1872-1896)

Set in the pleasure quarters of the late Meiji era, this short story focuses on neighborhood adolescents who experience the beginning of adulthood. A gang of boys and one girl, once close-knit playmates, drift apart as they face the inevitabilities of growing up. Two characters in the story, Nobu, a boy following the path to priesthood, and Midori, a girl who will eventually become a prostitute in the licensed brothel quarters, hold mutual affection for one another but sadly realize that their paths will never cross as they are about to shoulder life’s responsibilities.

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.

Medieval and Tokugawa Periods (1185-1868)

JAPANESE LITERATURE

In written form from at least the 8th century AD to the present. One of the oldest and richest national literatures. Since the late 1800s, Japanese writings have become increasingly familiar abroad. Genres such as haiku verse, nō drama, and the Japanese novel have had a substantial impact on literature in many parts of the world.

Japanese Writings

The Tea Ceremony

JAPANESE CEREMONIES

The Wedding Ceremony

The Birth Ceremony

Oshichiya Meimeishiki 

JAPANESE CEREMONIES

Death Ceremony

Festivals and Celebrations

Many festivals and celebrations had its own customs:Many involved contests

that tested athletic, poetic, or artistic skill.

For example, in the Festival of the Snake, cups of wine were floated in a stream. Guests took a cup and drank from it. Then they had to think up and recite a poem.

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