Japanese Literature Throughout History And History

During the post classical period, 650 C.E to 1450 C.E, Japanese leaders were confronted with several issues that threatened political order in Japan. The problems that arose during that time included a lack of respect for Buddhism, for example, monks were not taking their vows seriously. Another problem included the division between classes in the social structure, one instance was when the lady-in-waiting in the temple showed disdain for the peasants in a lower class than her. Ultimately, one last problem was the lack of overall respect for the government. Samurais were not being properly trained and the Daimyo were fighting among themselves simply for power. The issues that presented themselves during this time period can be solved in many ways. Buddhism, a unified religion, reestablishing Confucian values and relationships, and properly training the Samurai are just

Political, social, and economic aspects influenced the rise of the Empire of Japan, and their effects created the ways in which Japan interacted with its people and the world around it. Politically, the Meiji Restoration of the mid-1800s to the early 1900s set the stage for the growth that took place to make Japan an Empire, including the transformation of the views on the emperor. These views on the emperor helped to create a social change: the anger of the Japanese government and people about the lack of representation for Japan in world treaties and in the League of Nations. This caused extreme patriotism. Japan was economically changed by the advancements into China after Japan’s Great Depression. This military advancement opened the door for much more and was based on the Japanese’s intense nationalistic views.

The samurai were the feudal warriors of ancient Japan. For thousands of years they upheld the code of bushido, the way of the warrior. Samurai were around for thousands of years, but when did they disappear? Does the code of bushido still exist to this day? Exploring the history of the samurai will give an explanation to what has happened to these formidable warriors.

Endo’s descriptions of Indian customs from the Japanese viewpoint are evident, through the Japanese travelers and also through the way he uses imagery to suggest a merging of the ancient Japanese beliefs (Koshinto) with the Indian beliefs about the Ganges and his own Christian beliefs. Koshinto lies at the core of Japanese sensibility and forms Japanese traditional lifestyle (Mase-Hasegawa 28). Each traveler or character is searching for a greater understanding, not merely of the motivating force behind their behavior, but of a deeper nature. In doing so, they all find themselves in direct confrontation with their own personal desires for spiritual rejuvenation. They embark upon journeys toward greater self-understanding where each is caught up in his own process of individuation. The river is a recurrent site motif with ritual significance, providing an idyllic destination.

Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today

State of War: The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan by Thomas Donald Conlan tracks the events in Japan between 1336 and 1392. Conlan provides his wisdom on how state and society operated in the Nanbokucho period through various source documents portraying the warriors not by their romanticized “knights of the round table” ideal, but rather showing that while there were alliances of connivence, they could be broken just as easily as they were made, revealing that pragmatism was paramount above all else.

There is a vast difference between the courtly airs of the Heian Period and the overall feeling of the following Kamakura Period that makes the younger of the two periods more appealing. The changes in Japanese literature during the Kamakura Period can be readily observed in many works, including the innovation in poet devices found in the Shinkokinshu, as well as the subject matters of different stories. We have the introduction of another ancient Japanese classic in Heike Monogatari, where the reader is assaulted with battlefield stories and upfront political warfare not seen to that extent before. A significant feature, if not the most significant feature, of the Kamakura Period is the increased presence of Buddhist teachings and

Japans history dates back almost 53,000 years and is filled with interesting and fascinating events. Most of Japans actions have left the major world powers in the world stunned. The base of this amazing country is astonishing just by itself. The base is a bunch of active and large under water volcanoes. Japans uniqueness from the rest of the world ranges from its culture to its very interesting history to the change in government every few hundred years and their trading dilemma with petroleum and their assortment of fish that they export. Japan as a country is so very appealing and kind compared to the rest of the world its no wonder that it’s geographically separate from the rest of the world.

The novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson is about the way Japanese Americans were treated in the United States during the time of Pearl Harbor and afterwards. Guterson got his inspiration for a novel about a court trial full of prejudice from Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. His father was a lawyer, so Guterson was able to reenact a realistic trial that could have occurred during the late 1940s in the book (Sherwin 1). Kabuo Miyamoto, the man accused of murder in the book, is presumed guilty because he looks different. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, most Americans became fearful of the Japanese. The Japanese-Americans didn’t have as many rights as other

Kamo No Chomei, “An Account of a Ten-Foot-Square Hut”, recounts his life experience as a Buddhist in seclusion in the depths of Mount Ohara, moreover in his late years move deeper in the depths of Mount Hino. Kamo No Chomei went in seclusion escaping the horrors of the city capital. Chomei view the world as beautiful yet perilous, hence he perceived life itself as difficult, especially city life. In his life, he witnessed the worst the world can throw at you when nature rebels against it. He witnessed hunger and deaths by the thousands as consequence from fires, storm winds, earthquakes, sickness, and epidemics. People, wealthy and poor, ran out

In the essentially dual religious system in Japan, ideologies and traditions play a heavy role in the everyday life of the Japanese people. Shintoism and Buddhism intertwine and complement themselves in Japanese culture, despite Buddhism coming in from mainland Asia. A particularly powerful idea from Buddhism is mono no aware, the realization and acknowledgment of the impermanence and its place in the world. This idea that nothing stays the same forever manifests itself heavily in Japanese literature, whether in personal writings or fictional works. Despite spanning hundreds of years, each work was shaped by and include manifestations of mono no aware. I intend to underline and pinpoint instances that mono no aware is influencing these works, and discuss similarities and differences between them. In this paper, I have three works that I will explore, each one corresponding to a different time period before the pre-industrial revolution; The Diary of Lady Murasaki comes from the classical period, Essays in Idleness from the medieval, and the immensely popular play Chushingura from the pre-modern era.

Western Influence on Japan Japan, as a nation, is a continually changing society. Ever since western nations became involved with Japan, its changes over recent times have increased at a substantial rate. Japan now faces cultural, economical and social differences as a result of the western involvement. The involvement was initiated by the Japanese themselves, beginning during the Meiji Period1 through current times.

Many religions are popular within the Japanese culture. Two of the most influential religions, Shinto and Buddhism that help shaped a lot of Japanese values are Shinto and Buddhism, played a large role in shaping Japanese values. Numerous similarities and differences run between these two religions; nonetheless, the Japanese often believe in more than one religion at the same time. This is possible due to the polytheistic nature of most popular religions in Japan. It is not hard to say that religion is a big part of Japanese culture because a lot of religious beliefs can still be seen in their everyday lives.

Portrait of an Arhat (Rakan) was created in Edo period of the Japanese art culture. This period started in 1615-1868 when culture expression started to really blossom for the Japanese culture (Singer). From statues, lavish paintings, and religion the art speaks vibrant vibrations. This culturally diverse period gets its name from the city of Edo, known as Tokyo modern day. Which became the headquarters of the government when Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542 – 1616) unified the country (Department of Asian Art). The Tokugawa regime was started in 1603, when the emperor, in “recognition of Ieyasu’s supremacy on the battlefield”, appointed him shogun. Shogun is the highest military position you can carry in Japan (Singer). After this Japan had strict laws on not using motor vehicles were put into place. Going into the 1630s, contact with the outside world was stopped through “official prohibition of foreigners” (Department of Asian Art). Around 1720 Edo had a population of “more than one million residents having more population than London or Paris at the time” (Singer). According to Art of Edo Japan Kyoto, was city of temples and shrines. It was the leading center of arts and crafts production with a population of close to 400,000 (Singer).

In The Crane Wife and Princess Hase, both short stories in the book Tales of Japan-Illustrated Folk Tales, Fairy Tales and Mythology by Birgit Amadoi there are examples of Universal truths. The Universal Truths such as Good vs. Evil, Greed vs. Generosity, and Outer Strength vs. Inner Strength affect the people of Japan, and reflects on how the live their life, and their outlook on the world.