Japanese Literature

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Japanese Literature can be traced back to the earliest periods of recorded history in the country. Continual influences from China and Chinese literature in the earliest eras of Japanese History color the style of the earliest works, but Japanese literature took on its own form quickly as Japan developed into an isolated, defined country. However, Chinese influence would continue to have a profound impact until the 19th century when western influences started flooding into the country.

History

The history of Japanese literature can be traced back before 794 and the Heian period with the first Kanji introduction from the Chinese culture to Japanese societies. For the most part, early Japanese writing was essentially classical Chinese, but eventually the phonetics started to translate the sounds from Chinese to Japanese and the language as adopted to form the Man’yogana, the earliest kana in Japan. The earliest works with this language were written during the Nara period and include the Kojiki, a work depicting Japanese mythology and legend, the Nihonshoki in 720 which chronicles more history, and the Man’yoshu in 759, an anthology of poetry.

Classical Japanese Literature is generally defined by that which was written in the Heian Period. There is little to pull from, but the works from this period are incredibly significant, both in Japanese history and in world history. Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji, written in the early 1000s is considered the era’s masterpiece and the world’s first true novel by many scholars. Other works from this era include the Kokin Wakashu of 905, the Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon during the 990s, and the Iroha poetic meter.

During Medieval Japan, Buddhism had a powerful impact on the literature of the age. The numerous wars and the rise of a warrior society and government had a profound impact on the literature of the age as well as the well educated, literate part of society was no longer nobility but samurai as well. Stories of war and battle and histories became prominent with stories like the Tale of the Heike in 1371 which depicted the fight between the Minamoto and Taira clans during the 12th century. Additional stories from this period included the Hojoki in 1212 by Kamo no Chomei and Tsurezuregusa in 1331 by Yoshida Kenko. Noh theater also developed in this period as well as the linked verse of renga poetry.

Edo Period

Between 1600 and 1868, the literature in Japan changed dramatically as the country entered a prolonged period of peace and general prosperity. The rise of working and middle class citizens in Edo led to many popular dramatic forms such as Kabuki theater and travel diaries such as Oku no Hosomichi by Matsuo Basho in 1702. Illustrations started making literature more popular with readers as Woodblock printing became more common as well. New genres of literature arose in this period with the increase in literacy within townsfolk and the development of the printing press which was introduced by the Dutch settlers in Nagasaki. Novels and vernacular fiction rose to prominence as well with writers like Ihara Saikaku and Jippensha Ikku mixing memoir and comedy into their writing. Historical romances by Tsuga Teisho, Takeba Ayatari, and Okajima Kanzan rose in popularity and the translation of novels such as Three Kingdoms and Shui hu zhuan from Chinese became incredibly popular.

The first true masterpieces of the period were written by Ueda Akinari in Ugetsu Monogatari and Harusame Monogatari and other fiction exploded in popularity.

Modern Japanese Literature

The rise of the Meiji era saw the end of isolation from the west by Japan and the increase in industrialization. European literature finally made its appearance in Japanese society, bringing in free verse, poetic forms from Europe, serialized novels, and numerous other forms. Japanese artists and writers tried to integrate these new forms into their work with some difficulty, but were eventually able to start creating their own identity in novels. With many works in this period focusing on how Japan was handling its new found position in the world, the novels of realism and classicism were at first at odds but soon integrating. A few of the more popular writers of early modern Japanese literature include:

Fukuzawa Yukichi
Nakae Chomin
Tsubouchi Shoyo
Futabatei Shimei
Ozaki Koyo
Koda Rohan
Ichiyo Higuchi
Kyoka izumi – The Operating Room, The Holy Man of Mount Koya
Katai Tayama – Futon
Junichiro Tanizaki
Kotaro Takamura
Hakushu Kitahara
Saneatsu Mushanokoji
Ryunosuke Akutagawa – Rashomon
Yuriko Miyamoto
Denji Kuroshima
Ineko Saito
Yasunari Kawabata (first Japanese Nobel Prize for Literature winner)

Post World War II

Following the end of World war II, Japanese literature was greatly influenced both by the defeat by Allied Forces and the bombing of Japan by the United States. Multiple writers rose to prominence in this period for their post war takes on politics, society, and human nature. Intellectualism and morality took a key role in many of the stories and novels of the era and international recognition became the norm for the soft, simplistic prose of Japanese writers. Some of the era’s best known writers include:

Contemporary Literature

Today, Japanese literature has acquired a new found place in the pantheon of world literatures with multiple writers gaining international audiences of devoted readers. Kazuo Ishiguro is a perennial favorite in Great Britain and Haruki Murakami, one of the world’s premier magical realists has gained a following in more than 40 languages and is the best known writer from Japan in other countries. Other popular contemporary writers include Banana Yoshimoto and Ryu Murakami.