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Medieval period of japan art and literature
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During the Medieval period (1185–1603) in Japan there was change and innovation in Japanese literature. “Waka composition practices change as Japanese society does” (Huey 652). The medieval world was greatly reflected in Japanese literature because during this time there were numerous civil wars that led to different classes in society. “In fact, many different types of people helped shape the medieval period. Over 400 years, from the late twelfth to the late sixteenth centuries, emperors and priests, women and merchants, poets and playwrights, and, of course, samurai created a complex yet fascinating society” (Segal). These were the years of Japan’s first two warrior governments: the Kamakura (1185-1333) and the Muromachi (1336-1573). The work during this time usually consisted of a certain mentality that was twisted, not perfect, dealt with unhappiness and karma. There were insights on life and death, lifestyles, making fun of the disabled, ghosts living with people, and redemption through means of killing. Buddhist religion was also influenced greatly during this time and dealt with sutra, priests and monks.
There were many tales during this period that were written to represent the changes and happenings during this time. One example is the Tale of Heike which was a war tale, with its author unknown due to different versions being passed down. The Tale of Heike is about the Minamoto family and the Taira family fighting for the control of Japan after the Genpei War (1180-1185) which was the end of the twelfth century.
“The Tale of the Heike is a long narrative about the fall of the Taira clan and the victory of the Minamoto. It has no single author and was probably compiled from various oral sources, but it does present a c...
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...efore it. It had a tendency to show the unfortunate dwellings and helplessness individuals faced.
Works Cited
Citko, Malgorzata. "Handout 12- Heike, Ujishui, Hojoki and Tsurezuregusa." Encyclopedia of Japan. Web.
Huey, Robert N. "The Medievalization of Poetic Practice." Harvard Journal of Asian Studies 50 (1990): 651-68. Harvard- Yenching Institute. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .
Keene, Donald. Anthology of Japanese Literature, from the Earliest Era to the Mid-nineteenth Century. New York: Grove, 1955. Print.
Segal, Ethan. "Medieval - Essay | Imaging Japanese History." University of Colorado Boulder. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .
"Tale of the Heike." Traditional Japanese Literature in Translation. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .
Throughout history artists have used art as a means to reflect the on goings of the society surrounding them. Many times, novels serve as primary sources in the future for students to reflect on past history. Students can successfully use novels as a source of understanding past events. Different sentiments and points of views within novels serve as the information one may use to reflect on these events. Natsume Soseki’s novel Kokoro successfully encapsulates much of what has been discussed in class, parallels with the events in Japan at the time the novel takes place, and serves as a social commentary to describe these events in Japan at the time of the Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor.
Riichi, Yokomitsu. Shanghai. Michigan: The Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan , 2001.
Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
21 Pitts, Forrest R., Japan. p. 113. -. 22. Davidson, Judith. Japan- Where East Meets West, p. 107.
The Tale of the Heike is a collection of tales that depict the livelihood of warriors during the Heian and Kamakura period. These tales illustrate that warriors during this period spent their existence dedicated to their duty to the Buddhist Law and that the growing contention arose from each warrior’s devotion and loyalty to the Buddhist Law.
War played a central part in the history of Japan. Warring clans controlled much of the country. A chief headed each clan; made up of related families. The chiefs were the ancestors of Japan's imperial family. The wars were usually about land useful for the production of rice. In fact, only 20% of the land was fit for farming. The struggle for control of that land eventually ga...
The Tale of Heike." Traditional Japanese Literature: An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600. Ed. Haruo Shirane. New York: Columbia UP, 2007. 736-39. Print.
Munsterberg, H. (1985) The Arts of Japan An Illustrated History Charles E. Tuttle, Tokyo, Japan.
...ut. I need a source like a diary, either from the lord or vassal's perspective. With that diary, we can see what the lord/vassal thinks of how their lives are like. We can find out what their daily routines. The Tale of the Heike, translated by Hirohi Kitigawa and Bruce Tsuchida, may have many issues with its reliability. This story is like a fairytale, describing how the relationship with the lord and vassal should be. It is said by Wikipedia that The Tale of the Heike has “differ[ent] versions[,] [which was] passed down through an oral tradition[.]”12 The original version of the story was probably written back in the day before the battle, not in 1975. As the story gets passed down, it gets changed. We won't know which version is the real one. I would need a diary from one person on each side of the battle. I would know what is happening and what they are thinking.
Shirane Haruo. et al. Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600-1900. New York: Colombia University Press, 2002. Print.
The Japanese medieval age consists of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (from approximately 1185 to 1600). During this time, the political power was switching from the imperial family to a militaristic government. In addition, civil wars (from 1156 to 1568) were increasing throughout Japan. This change of centrality in society’s focus from court to warriors shifted the perception and style of Japanese literature.
The Heian period(794-1185), the so-called golden age of Japanese culture, produced some of the finest works of Japanese literature.1 The most well known work from this period, the Genji Monogatari, is considered to be the “oldest novel still recognized today as a major masterpiece.”2 It can also be said that the Genji Monogatari is proof of the ingenuity of the Japanese in assimilating Chinese culture and politics. As a monogatari, a style of narrative with poems interspersed within it, the characters and settings frequently allude to Chinese poems and stories. In addition to displaying the poetic prowess that the Japanese had attained by this time period, the Genji Monogatari also demonstrates how politics and gender ideals were adopted from the Chinese.
Deal, William E. 2006. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Facts on File, Inc., 2006. eBook