Welco

me to
JAPAN
Japan, island country, lying off the east
coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of
islands in a northeast-southwest arc that
stretches for approximately 1,500 miles
(2,400 km) through the western
North Pacific Ocean. Nearly the entire land
area is taken up by the country’s four main
islands; from north to south these
are Hokkaido (Hokkaidō), Honshu (Honsh
ū), Shikoku, and Kyushu (Kyūshū).
Honshu is the largest of the four, followed
in size by Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku.
The Japanese landscape is

rugged, with more than four-

fifths of the land surface

consisting of mountains. There

are many active and dormant

volcanoes, including Mount

Fuji (Fuji-san), which, at an

elevation of 12,388 feet (3,776

metres), is Japan’s highest

mountain.
HISTORY
PRE-HISTORIC
AND ANCIENT
JAPAN
CLASSICAL JAPAN
FEUDAL JAPAN
EARLY MODERN
JAPAN
MODERN JAPAN
Pre-historic &
ancient japan
Peleolithic
Period
Jomon Period
Yayoi Period
Kofun Period
 Peleolithic
Period
Hunter-gatherers arrived in Japan

in Paleolithic times, though little evidence of their

presence remains, as Japan's acidic soils are

inhospitable to the process of fossilization.

However, the discovery of unique edge-ground axes

in Japan dated to over 30,000 years ago may be

evidence of the first Homo sapiens in Japan. Early

humans likely arrived in Japan by sea on watercraft.

Evidence of human habitation has been dated to

32,000 years ago in Okinawa's Yamashita Cave and

up to 20,000 years ago on Ishigaki Island's Shiraho

Saonetabaru Cave.
Jomon Period
The Jōmon period of prehistoric Japan spans from

roughly 13,000 BC to about 1,000 BC. Japan was

inhabited by a predominantly hunter-gatherer culture

that reached a considerable degree of sedentism and

cultural complexity. The name Jōmon, meaning "cord-

marked", was first applied by American

scholar Edward S. Morse, who

discovered shards of pottery in 1877. The pottery

style characteristic of the first phases of Jōmon culture

was decorated by impressing cords into the surface of

wet clay. Jōmon pottery is generally accepted to be

among the oldest in East Asia and the world.

https://en.japantravel.com/blog/ceramics-o
f-the-jomon-period/68558
Yayoi Period
The advent of the Yayoi people from the Asian

continent brought fundamental transformations to

the Japanese archipelago, compressing the

millennial achievements of the Neolithic

Revolution into a relatively short span of centuries,

particularly with the development of rice

cultivation and metallurgy. The onset of this wave

of changes was, until recently, thought to have

begun around 400 BCE. Radio-carbon evidence

now suggests the new phase started some 500 A Yayoi period bronze bell (dōtaku)
of the 3rd century CE
years earlier, between 1,000 and 800 BCE.
Yayoi Period
Radiating out from northern Kyūshū, the Yayoi,

endowed with bronze and iron weapons and tools

initially imported from China and the Korean

peninsula, gradually supplanted the Jōmon. They

also introduced weaving and silk production,

[
new woodworking methods, glassmaking

technology, and new architectural styles. The

expansion of the Yayoi appears to have brought

about a fusion with the indigenous Jōmon,

resulting in a small admixture genetically. A Yayoi period bronze bell (dōtaku)

of the 3rd century CE
Kofun Period

During the subsequent Kofun period, Japan

gradually unified under a single territory. The
symbol of the growing power of Japan's new
leaders was the kofun burial mounds they
constructed from around 250 CE
onwards. Many were of massive scales, such
as the Daisenryō Kofun, a 486 m-long
keyhole-shaped burial mound that took huge
teams of laborers fifteen years to complete. Aerial view of the Nintoku Tomb
(Daisenryō Kofun, Osaka)
The center of the unified state
was Yamato in the Kinai region of central
Japan. The rulers of the Yamato state
were a hereditary line of emperors who
still reign as the world's longest dynasty.
The rulers of the Yamato extended their
power across Japan through military
conquest, but their preferred method of
expansion was to convince local leaders
to accept their authority in exchange for
positions of influence in the
government. Many of the powerful local
clans who joined the Yamato state

became known as the uji.

CLASSICAL
JAPAN
Asuka Period
(538-710)
Nara period
(710–794)
Heian period
(794–1185)
 Asuka
Period
The Asuka Period began as early as 538
CE with the introduction of the Buddhist
religion from the Korean Kingdom of
Baekje. Since then, Buddhism has
coexisted with Japan’s native Shinto
religion, in what is today known as
Shimbutsu-shūgō. The period draw its
name from the de facto imperial capital,
Asuka, in the Kinai region.
The Buddhist Soga clan took over the government in the 580s
and controlled Japan from behind the scenes for nearly sixty

years. Prince Shōtoku, an advocate of Buddhism and of the

Soga cause, who was of partial Soga descent, served as regent
and de facto leader of Japan from 594 to 622. Shōtoku authored
the Seventeen-article constitution, a Confucian-inspired code of
conduct for officials and citizens, and attempted to introduce a
merit-based civil service called the Cap and Rank System. In 607,
Shōtoku offered a subtle insult to China by opening his letter with
the phrase, "The ruler of the land of the rising sun
addresses the ruler of the land of the setting sun" as seen in
the kanji characters for Japan (Nippon). By 670, a variant of this
expression, Nihon, established itself as the official name of the
nation, which has persisted to this day
 Nara Period (710-794)
In 710, the government constructed a grandiose new capital at Heijō-kyō (modern Nara)
modeled on Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang dynasty. During this period, the
first two books produced in Japan appeared: the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, which contain
chronicles of legendary accounts of early Japan and its creation myth, which describes
the imperial line as descendants of the gods. The Man'yōshū was compiled in the latter
half of the eighth century, which is widely considered the finest collection of Japanese
poetry.
EMPEROR
SHOMU

Portrait of The Emperor

Shomu, Japan, Kamakura
period, 13th century, Imperial
collection
 Heian Period(794-1185)
The Heian period ( 平安時代 , Heian jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history,
running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th
emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto).

Heian ( 平安 ) means "peace" in Japanese. It is a period in Japanese history when the Chinese
influences were in decline and the national culture matured. The Heian period is also
considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art,
especially poetry and literature. Two types of Japanese script emerged, including katakana, a
phonetic script which was abbreviated into hiragana, both unique alphabets distinctive to
Japan. This gave rise to Japan's famous vernacular literature, with many of its texts written by
court women who were not as educated in Chinese compared to their male counterparts.
A handscroll painting dated c. 1130, illustrating a scene from the "Bamboo River" chapter of
The Tale of Genji
 FEUDAL JAPAN

Kamakura Period
(1185-1333)
Muromachi
period (1333–
1568)
Azuchi–
Momoyama period
 Kamakura Period (1185-1333)
The Kamakura period ( 鎌 倉 時 代 , Kamakura jidai, 1185–1333) is a
period of Japanese history that marks the governance by
the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192
in Kamakura by the first shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo after
the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle between
the Taira and Minamoto clans.

The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior
caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan.
Upon the consolidation of power, Minamoto no

Yoritomo chose to rule in concert with the Imperial

Court in Kyoto. Though Yoritomo set up his own

government in Kamakura in the Kantō region located in

eastern Japan, its power was legally authorized by the

Imperial court in Kyoto in several occasions. In 1192,

the emperor declared Yoritomo seii tai-shōgun ( 征夷大将

軍 ; Eastern Barbarian Subduing Great General),

abbreviated as shōgun. Yoritomo's government was

called the bakufu ( 幕府 ("tent government")), referring

to the tents where his soldiers encamped. The English

term shogunate refers to the bakufu. Japan remained

largely under military rule until 1868.

 Muromachi Period (1333-1568)

The Muromachi period or Muromachi era ( 室町時代 , Muromachi jidai), also known as
the Ashikaga period or Ashikaga era ( 足 利 時 代 , Ashikaga jidai), is a division
of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks
the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi
bakufu or Ashikaga bakufu), which was officially established in 1338 by the first
Muromachi shōgun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kenmu
Restoration (1333–1336) of imperial rule was brought to a close. The period
ended in 1573 when the 15th and last shogun of this line, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was
driven out of the capital in Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga.
 Takauji and many other samurai soon became
dissatisfied with Emperor Go-Daigo's Kenmu
Restoration, an ambitious attempt to
monopolize power in the imperial court. Takauji
rebeled after Go-Daigo refused to appoint him
shōgun. In 1338, Takauji captured Kyoto and
installed a rival member of the imperial family
to the throne, Emperor Kōmyō, who did
appoint him shogun. Go-Daigo responded by
fleeing to the southern city of Yoshino, where
he set up a rival government. This ushered in a
prolonged period of conflict between the
Portrait of Ashikaga Takauji who was the
founder and first shōgun of the Ashikaga Northern Court and the Southern Court.
shogunate
Map showing the territories of
major daimyō families around
1570 CE
 In spite of the war, Japan's relative economic prosperity, which had begun in the

Kamakura period, continued well into the Muromachi period.

 By 1450 Japan's population stood at ten million, compared to six million at the end

of the thirteenth century.

 Commerce flourished, including considerable trade with China and Korea. Because

the daimyōs and other groups within Japan were minting their own coins, Japan

began to transition from a barter-based to a currency-based economy.

 During the period, some of Japan's most representative art forms developed,

including ink wash painting, ikebana flower arrangement, the tea ceremony,

Japanese gardening, bonsai, and Noh theater.

 Though the eighth Ashikaga shogun, Yoshimasa, was an ineffectual political and

military leader, he played a critical role in promoting these cultural

developments. He had the famous Kinkaku-ji or "Temple of the Golden Pavilion"

 Azuchi–Momoyama Period (1568-
1600)
• The Azuchi–Momoyama period ( 安 土 桃 山 時 代 , Azuchi–Momoyama jidai) was
the final phase of the Sengoku period ( 戦 国 時 代 , Sengoku jidai) in
Japanese history from 1568 to 1600.

• After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the
Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the
chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto to install
Ashikaga Yoshiaki as the 15th and ultimately final Ashikaga shōgun. This
entrance marked the start of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
Japan in 1582, showing territory
conquered by Oda Nobunaga and
Toyotomi Hideyoshi in gray
 EARLY MODERN
JAPAN
EdoPeriod (1600-
1868)
 Edo Period (1600-1868)
• The Edo period ( 江 戸 時 代 , Edo jidai) or Tokugawa period ( 徳 川 時

代 , Tokugawa jidai) is the period between 1600 and 1868 in

the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of

the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo.

The Edo period was characterized by economic growth, strict

social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population,

perpetual peace, and popular enjoyment of arts and culture.

• The period derives its name from Edo (now Tokyo), where on

March 24, 1603, the shogunate was officially established

by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji

Restoration and the Boshin War, which restored imperial rule to

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the
Japan.
founder and first shōgun of the
Tokugawa shogunate.
• The Edo period was a time of cultural flourishing, as the merchant classes grew in
wealth and began spending their income on cultural and social pursuits.
• Members of the merchant class who patronized culture and entertainment were said
to live hedonistic lives, which came to be called the ukiyo ("floating world"). This
lifestyle inspired ukiyo-zōshi popular novels and ukiyo-e art, the latter of which were
often woodblock prints that progressed to greater sophistication and use of multiple
printed colors.
• Forms of theater such as kabuki and bunraku puppet theater became widely
popular. These new forms of entertainment were (at the time) accompanied by short
songs (kouta) and music played on the shamisen, a new import to Japan in 1600.
• Haiku, whose greatest master is generally agreed to be Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694),
also rose as a major form of poetry.
• Geisha, a new profession of entertainers, also became popular. They would provide
conversation, sing, and dance for customers, though they would not sleep with
them.
• The Tokugawas sponsored and were heavily influenced by Neo-Confucianism, which
led the government to divide society into four classes based on the four
occupations.
• The samurai class claimed to follow the ideology of bushido, literally "the way of the
warrior".
 MODERN JAPAN

Meiji Period
(1868-1912)
Taisho Period
(1912-1926)
Showa Period
(1926-1989)
 Meiji Period
(1868-1912)
• The Meiji era is an era of Japanese history that extended from

October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.[1]

• The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the

Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at

risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a

modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power,

influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical,

political, legal, and aesthetic ideas.

• As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different

ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its

social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign

Emperor Meiji, the 122nd Emperor of
Japan relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji.
Chinese generals surrendering to the Japanese
in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895
The Japanese Empire in 1939
Taisho Period
The Taishō era was a period in the history of

Japan dating from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926,

coinciding with the reign of Emperor Taishō. The new

emperor was a sickly man, which prompted the shift

in political power from the old oligarchic group of

elder statesmen (or genrō) to the Imperial Diet of

Japan and the democratic parties. Thus, the era is

considered the time of the liberal movement known

as Taishō Democracy; it is usually distinguished from

the preceding chaotic Meiji era and the

following militaristic-driven first part of the Shōwa 1900, Crown Prince Yoshihito (Taishō Emperor) at
his wedding ceremony.
era.
The growth of popular prose fiction, which began during the Meiji
period, continued into the Taishō period as literacy rates rose and book
prices dropped. Notable literary figures of the era included short story
writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and the novelist Haruo Satō. Jun'ichirō
Tanizaki, described as "perhaps the most versatile literary figure of his
day" by the historian Conrad Totman, produced many works during the
Taishō period influenced by European literature, though his 1929
novel Some Prefer Nettles reflects deep appreciation for the virtues of
traditional Japanese culture. At the end of the Taishō period, Tarō Hirai,
known by his penname Edogawa Ranpo, began writing popular
 Showa Period (1926-1989)

• The Shōwa era ( 昭 和 , Shōwa) was the period of Japanese

history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (commonly
known in English as Emperor Hirohito) from December 25, 1926,
until his death on January 7, 1989 It was preceded by the Taishō
era and succeeded by the Heisei era The pre-1945 and post-war
Shōwa periods are almost completely different states: the pre-
1945 Shōwa era (1926–1945) concerns the Empire of Japan, and
post-1945 Shōwa era (1945–1989) concerns the State of Japan
 • Emperor Hirohito's sixty-three-year
reign from 1926 to 1989 is the longest
in recorded Japanese history. The first
twenty years were characterized by
the rise of extreme nationalism and a
series of expansionist wars. After
suffering defeat in World War II, Japan
was occupied by foreign powers for
the first time in its history, and then
re-emerged as a major world

Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito) economic power.

at his enthronement in
1928.
World War II
In late 1941, Japan's government, led by Prime

Minister and General Hideki Tojo, decided to break

the US-led embargo through force of arms. On 7

December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy

launched a surprise attack on the American fleet at

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This brought the US into World

War II on the side of the Allies. Japan then

successfully invaded the Asian colonies of the

United States, the United Kingdom, and the

Netherlands, including the Philippines, Malaya, Hong

Kong, Singapore, Burma, and the Dutch East Indies. Atomic cloud over Hiroshima, 1945
 People
The Japanese people constitute
the overwhelming majority of
the population. They are ethnically
closely akin to the other peoples
of eastern Asia. During the Edo
(Tokugawa) period (1603–1867),
there was a social division of the
populace into four classes—
warrior, farmer, craftsman, and
merchant—with a peer class
above and an outcast class below.
Insofar as a social class system does persist, it
does not have the ethnic basis that can exist in
multiracial societies, since the Japanese regard
themselves as belonging to a single ethnic
group. The few exceptions include those
classified as resident aliens
(particularly Koreans) and Japanese citizens
of Ainu and, to a much lesser degree,
Okinawan origin. Japan also has a small
population of Chinese descent.
Historically, both Ainu and Okinawans were

often relegated to a second-class status.

The indigenous Ainu largely were assimilated into

the general population centuries ago; a few

small, scattered groups, however, have

maintained their identity in Hokkaido. Before the

war there was a tendency to distinguish the

people of Okinawa from other Japanese because

of perceived physical and cultural differences;

that tendency has diminished considerably but

not entirely disappeared.

Typical clothing for nobility in the Nara period
Typical clothing for nobility in the Heian period
Typical clothing for a samurai family in the
Kamakura period
Typical clothing for a samurai family during the Edo
Kimono are worn for traditional tea ceremonies.
Most women attend their graduation ceremony
in hakama.
Language
Modern Japanese is written
in a mixture of three basic
scripts: Kanji — which are
Chinese ideographic
symbols — as well as
Hiragana and
Katakana — two phonetic
alphabets (syllables). There
are a few thousand Kanji
characters, while Hiragana
and Katakana have 46 each.
Japanese is the national language, and Ainu is almost

extinct. The Japanese language is generally included in

the Altaic linguistic group and is especially akin to

Korean, although the vocabularies differ. Some linguists

also contend that Japanese contains elements of

Southeast Asian languages. The introduction of

the Chinese writing system and of Chinese

literature about the 4th century CE enriched the

Japanese vocabulary. Until that time Japanese had no

written form, and at first Chinese characters

(called kanji in Japanese) were used to write Japanese;

by the 9th century two syllabaries, known collectively

as kana (katakana and hiragana), were developed from

them.
 Economy
Japan is remarkable for its extraordinarily rapid
rate of economic growth in the 20th century,
especially in the first several decades after World
War II. This growth was based on unprecedented
expansion of industrial production and the
development of an enormous domestic market,
as well as on an aggressive export trade policy.
In terms of gross national product (GNP; or gross
national income), a common indicator of a
country’s wealth, Japan is the world’s second
largest economic power, ranking behind only
the United States.
Food
 Japanese Literature
• Japanese literature, the body of written works produced by Japanese
authors in Japanese or, in its earliest beginnings, at a time
when Japan had no written language, in the Chinese
classical language.
• It spans a period of almost two millennia and comprises one of the
major literatures in the world, comparable to English literature in
age and scope. It comprises a number of genres,
including novels, poetry, and drama, travelogues, personal diaries
and collections of random thoughts and impressions. From the early
seventh century until the present there has never been a period
when literature was not being produced by Japanese authors.
• Japan adopted its writing system from China, often using Chinese
characters to represent Japanese words with similar phonetic
sounds.
MATSHUO • Matsuo Bashō, the poet of this haiku, was
a famous poet of the Edo period in Japan.
BASHO He is recognized as the greatest master
of haiku or hokku.
 • Matsuo Basho, originally Matsuo Chuemon Munefusa,

MATSHUO was born in Ueno, Japan, in 1644 to a family of

samurai descent. Basho was introduced to poetry at
a young age by Todo Yoshitada, for whom he worked
BASHO and shared a mutual love of renga. After Yoshitada’s
death in 1666, Basho moved to the capital city of
Edo (now Tokyo), where he studied poetry and
gained recognition for his use of the haiku form.
HAIKU Haiku began in thirteenth-century
Japan as the opening phrase
of renga, an oral poem, generally
Furu ike ya
a hundred stanzas long, which
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto was also composed syllabically.
The much shorter haiku broke
An old pond! away from renga in the sixteenth
A frog jumps in
— century and was mastered a
the sound of
water. century later by Matsuo Basho,
who wrote this classic haiku.
 An old pond!
A frog jumps in—
the sound of water.

• The Old Pond’ is a haiku

poem that deals with an ancient
pond and the sound made by a
frog that jumps into it.
• In this haiku poem, there are
only three images. One is a
static image of an old pond. The
second one is a dynamic image
of a frog jumping into the pond.
Lastly, there is an auditory
image that presents the sound
that is generated from a frog
jumping into the pond-water.
 Furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto

The Old Pond’ consists of a total of 17 syllables.

In the first phrase, there are 5 syllables and in
the second phrase, there are 7 syllables. The
last phrase has 5 syllables. Structurally, a haiku
poem has a “kireji” or cutting word. Here, the
cutting word is in the first phrase. It is “ya” that
marks a shift in the poem. Another important
element of a haiku is “kigo.” “Kigo” means a
word or phrase associated with a particular
season, used in traditional forms of Japanese
poetry. In this haiku, the “kigo” is the “frog.”
 There are some important literary
devices in this haiku poem.
• First, the “pond” is
a metaphor for the
subconscious mind. It can also
be a metaphorical reference to
the soul.

Literary
• Whereas, the “old pond” seems
to be an example
of personification. Here,
Bashō personifies the pond.

Devices Thereafter, in the second

phrase, the frog acts as a
metaphor. Here, it embodies
any external stimulus that
incites the human mind to
think.
• Last, the “water’s sound”
contains an onomatopoeia. The
poet uses the sound to portray
an image.
 An old pond!

ANALYSIS
A frog jumps in—
the sound of water.

Fumiko Saisho's translation of the haiku begins with an image of the

old pond. It could be in a forest or far from where people live. This
image is the only sound that Basho associates with. In this way, the
lake is most likely a good ways off, in serenity and quietness.
Additionally, it is old. It has survived the ravages of time because it
is an ancient creature. The pond exists as a sage, burdened by the
experience of long years. The poet has a connection to this pond in
some way. There is a closeness in their tendency. Both are quiet and
settled.
 An old pond!

ANALYSIS
A frog jumps in—
the sound of water.

In line 2, “A frog jumps in-”, the tranquility of the pond is

abruptly disrupted by a frog. It doesn't start croaking the way
it usually does. The frog just dives into the water. The frog
dives into the pond for what reason? Before moving on to the
climax of this haiku, one must first ask this question. The frog
could have hopped into the lake, not so much for reproducing
or laying eggs as it's not the time of storm. Therefore, one
thing is for certain: the frog does it out of its natural instinct.
The frog appears to be rejuvenated by the pond's water.
 An old pond!

ANALYSIS
A frog jumps in—
the sound of water.

The sound becomes an interesting aspect of the imagery in the

haiku's final line. The sound is not made up. Sound is made by
a stimulus from outside the body. At the point when the frog
bounces into the water, it creates a short-remaining sound. It
isn't harsh. However, it is not deep. The sound of the water has
a texture that falls somewhere in the middle. After hearing the
song, the poet's mind becomes more alert, but he maintains
his concentration. Instead, it elevates him to a new level and
intensifies his trance. It can be approached differently.
TANKA

Tanka, in literature, a five-line, 31-syllable poem that has

historically been the basic form of Japanese poetry. The term
tanka is synonymous with the term waka (q.v.), which more
broadly denotes all traditional Japanese poetry in classical
forms.

Also is a short lyric poem with syllables of five, seven, five,

seven and seven. It is longer than haiku.
How to write TANKA?

The theme of Tanka can be anything from love poems to

depictions of everyday life, social issues, children’s
growth, stories and, fantasies. It is very free poetry, the
only rule is to make it in the form of five phrases and
thirty sounds.
Also, there is no rule that Tanka must enter season words
like haiku.
Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) was a
Japanese poet, essayist,
autobiographer, and novelist. She was
born on 7 December 1878 in Sakai, a
town south of Osaka, to a highly
prosperous merchant family. From an
early age, she demonstrated an avid
interest in literature, which she
pursued after her formal schooling
ended. As a young woman, she
attended meetings of the literary
 Two stars deep into heaven
Whispering love
Behind the nighttime curtain
While down below, now, people lie
Their hair in gentle disarray…

The poet uses the following literary devices:

1. Personification – Akiko personifies two stars by
giving human attribute of “whispering”
2. Metaphor – the poet uses “two stars” as a
metaphor to two person.
3. Imagery – (Visual Imagery) is also utilized in
this poem.
 YOSHIDA KENKO
• Urabe Kenkō ( 卜 部 兼 好 , 1283–
1350), also known as Yoshida
Kenkō ( 吉 田 兼 好 ), or
simply Kenkō ( 兼 好 ), was a
Japanese author and Buddhist
monk.
• His most famous work
is Tsurezuregusa (Essays in
Idleness), one of the most
studied works of medieval
Japanese literature. Kenko wrote
during
the Muromachi and Kamakura
periods.
Essay No. 127

“If nothing will be gained by

changing something, it is
better not do it.”
 MURASAKI
SHIKIBU
Murasaki Shikibu Eng: Lady Murasaki
was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-
in-waiting at the Imperial court in the
Heian period.
She is best known as the author of The
Tale of Genji, widely considered to be
one of the world's first novels, written
in Japanese between about 1000 and
1012.
Murasaki Shikibu is a descriptive name;
her personal name is unknown, but she
may have been Fujiwara no Kaoriko
who was mentioned in a 1007 court
diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting.
The Tale of Genji
 The Tale of Genji
• Author
Murasaki Shikibu. The daughter of Fujiwara Tametoki.
• Date of creation
About the year 1000 during the Heian Period.
• Structure of Story
Composed of 54 chapters, The Tale of Genji is broadly divided into three sections. The first
part of thirty-three chapters concerns itself with the first half of Genji's life starting with
Chapter Kiritsubo and ending with Chapter Fuji-no-uraba (Arthur Waley's translation of The
Tale of Genji, Part 1 Chapter 1 to Part 4 Chapter 5). The second portion begins with the
marriage of Onna-Sannomiya to a commoner in Chapter Wakana Part I (Ibid., Part 4
Chapter 6) and ends with Chapter Mirage (Ibid., Part 4 Chapter 12). There is a chapter
following this that is entitled "Hidden Behind the Clouds" which has no text. This chapter is
not found in The Tale of Genji.
The third section starts with Chapter Niou (Ibid., Part 5 Chapter 1) in which Kaoru plays the
major role. It ends with Chapter The Bridge of Dreams (Ibid., Part 6 Chapter 13). From
Chapter The Bridge Maiden (Ibid., Part 5 Chapter 4) to the end shifts the stage to Uji city
and is thus often called the Uji Appendix.
 Summary
• The rise to power, love affairs, and
social norms of the title character,
Hikaru Genji, are chronicled in The Tale
of Genji. He is also known as the
"Shining Genji." He is the son of
Emperor Kiritsubo, a Japanese emperor,
and Lady Kiritsibu, the Emperor's low-
ranking intimate courtesan. The
narrator frequently acknowledges
Genji's indescribable beauty, grace, and
traits, and in his youth he is favored
beyond all expectation and birth status.
He eventually discovers that
maintaining such a pristine reputation
in his later years is difficult.
• Even though Genji is born to a low-
status concubine who does not have
any political support, the Emperor (His
Majesty) is so in love with the mother
(Lady Kiritsibu) and her new son that, as
Genji grows, his brilliance and physical
beauty convince his powerful father to
make him an official commoner (under
the surname Minamoto). Genji can live
more freely and remain close to his
beloved father as a commoner rather
than being confined to a form of royalty,
where he may suffer as a leader and
only draw criticism for his mother's low
status.
• Genji's mom dies when he is 3 years
of age. Despite the resentment of
the court toward the lady and her
lowly status, his father the Emperor
is inconsolable. Also, the Emperor's
Kokiden Consort wants to be
Empress, but the Lady Fujitsubo
takes her place because she had a
son named Suzaku before Genji was
born. The Kokiden Consort wants
Suzaku to be the rightful heir to the
throne, not Genji. Kokiden is
especially offended by Genji's
attractive appearance and
personality as a result of this.
His Majesty the Emperor is delighted to welcome Lady Fujitsubo into the
palace after learning that she used to be a princess and resembles
Genji's lost mother. Due to her high-ranking background, she eventually
becomes his favorite and is named Empress. Even though Genji was
married to Aoi no Ue when he was younger, he was still interested in
Fujitsubo as a young boy because he heard that she looked like his
mother. Fujitsubo is urged by the Emperor to treat Genji like a son.
However, despite being married to Aoi, who was chosen for him and with
whom he does not feel compatible, Genji falls in love with her as a young
man. After the primary part, the story follows Genji into pre-adulthood,
chronicling his continuous, bombed relationships with different ladies, a
considerable lot of which happen simultaneously.
When Genji is 18, he gets a fever and goes to Kitayama, a rural area, to get
treatment. There, he finds a 10-year-old young lady, Murasaki, whom he is
charmed by because of her likeness to Fujitsubo, and in this way, likewise his
own lost mother. Against the desires of Murasaki's gatekeepers, he takes the
youngster to raise as his future spouse. In the mean time, independently, he
additionally has started his mysterious illicit relationship with Woman
Fujitsubo, despite the fact that she is as yet hitched to his dad, the Ruler. Even
though Fujitsubo gives birth to their son, Reizei—who will eventually become
Emperor—and despite the fact that Genji is his real father, the Emperor—
Genji's father—is certain that he is the father. Even though Fujitsubo suffers a
lot later on because of the weight of this secret, she and Genji do not tell
anyone that Genji is the real father of the child, the next Heir Apparent (II).
In the long run Genji and his spouse, Aoi,
fairly reconcile, yet she passes on soon after
she brings forth his subsequent child, whom
everybody accepts is his most memorable
youngster, yet isn't. The "living phantom" of
another of Genji's lovers, the envious spirit of
the Rokujo Haven, is credited with her death.
Genji's half-brother Suzu, whose mother, the
Kokiden Consort, had always hoped would
rule, takes over from Genji's father, the
Emperor, in the following chapters.
Due to Genji’s ongoing romantic
indiscretions, the loss of his father, and the
change of rule to his brother, Genji’s actions
begin to have consequences. One of his
many secret affairs is with one of his brother
emperor’s concubines, Oborozukiyo.
Though the new emperor is not personally
offended, Genji knows he may be exiled for
this romantic dalliance, and so he self-exiles
to the isolated, rural area of Suma for his
indiscretions.
When Genji meets a well-off man, the
Akashi Novice, Genji soon begins
wooing Akashi's daughter. Later, she
gives birth to Genji's first daughter, who
is his third child. The daughter will
become Empress, and his other sons will
become Emperor (Reizei, by Fujitsubo),
and the highest-ranking possible nobility
(his son with Aoi), as foreseen by an
astrologer.
However, while Genji is in exile at Suma, a number
of unfortunate events begin. Genji is pardoned and
invited back to Kyoto once more as a result of his
brother, the new emperor, having strange dreams
about their deceased father and his mother,
Kokiden. Genji is promoted once more to a higher
political position. The shortened version of Royal
Tyler concludes with Genji being given custody of
Rokujo Haven's daughter, Akikonomu, before
Rokujo dies. Genji swears he won't view the young
lady as a sweetheart, and he will raise her with the
best expectations.
Genji is again considering intentionally
isolating himself from society. However,
his desire to properly raise his children
and the younger people in his life keeps
him from shutting-out the world just yet.
Still, even the narrator acknowledges no
one can really know his motivations and
hopes.
-The End-

さようなら
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