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SLAVERY AND JAPAN
Japan, like nearly all nations. has a history of slavery. Many Western historians in the past believed the concept of freedom was imported toJapan from the
28 HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT GEISHA AND GEIKO Geisha, or geiko as they are known in Kyoto, symbolize traditional Japanese culture. Their heyday in the early 1900s contributed to the exoticism the West felt toward Japan during the Meiji period. Many of those misconceptions remain about historical geisha. 1800S JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY: WINDOWS TO THE PAST Photographs are everywhere. Every cell phone has a camera stuffed into it. Selfies and photos in general are so ubiquitous that they often lack impact. Even the A BRIEF LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE YAKUZA The yakuza need no introduction. The organized crime groups appear throughout Japanese and American films. Next to the Italian mafia,they are the
ANIME OFFERS DIVERSITY, MORE THAN WE THINK When you hear the word anime, you likely think of today’s current styles: moe. But anime offers more diversity than that. Moe is a design that seeks to make you feel a warm protectiveness. Typically, this involves large eyes, small noses, small mouths, and oval faces. KESAGAKE THE MAN EATER A statue of Kesagake, the brown bear responsible for the worst bear attacks in Japanese history. Sometimes humans get a bit cocky. After all, our big brains and ability to produce advanced technology put us head and shoulders above other animals, especially when it comes tokilling power.
JAPAN, THE SEXLESS SOCIETY? By 2060, Japan is expected to have a population of 86.7 million, down from the peak of 128 million in 2008. At least 40% of the 86.7 million is expected to be 65 or older. As the population decline LIVING A WABI SABI LIFE Wabi-sabi doesn’t have an equivalent English word. The phrase itself is rather fun to say: wabi-sabi. The phrase describes an aesthetic, a feeling, that underlies our experiences of art and l WHAT IS A POSTMODERN ANIME? WHAT DOES POSTMODERNISM MEAN Wow, really interesting reading your words about postmodernism, when I was 14 and I watched Evangelion for the first time, I searched for the meanings in the anime and then I found postmodern philosophy, I moved away from the postmodern philosophy 2 years later, but I still very much like postmodern works (anime, of course, included), I think is the impact that EVA left in me, it’s very WHAT IS BEST FOR ANIME: STREAMING OR PHYSICAL MEDIA When I first began brainstorming this post, I considered visiting the old Blu-Ray versus DVD debate. It shares similarities with the older Betamax versus VHS battle. Only BluSLAVERY AND JAPAN
Japan, like nearly all nations. has a history of slavery. Many Western historians in the past believed the concept of freedom was imported toJapan from the
28 HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT GEISHA AND GEIKO Geisha, or geiko as they are known in Kyoto, symbolize traditional Japanese culture. Their heyday in the early 1900s contributed to the exoticism the West felt toward Japan during the Meiji period. Many of those misconceptions remain about historical geisha. 1800S JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY: WINDOWS TO THE PAST Photographs are everywhere. Every cell phone has a camera stuffed into it. Selfies and photos in general are so ubiquitous that they often lack impact. Even the A BRIEF LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE YAKUZA The yakuza need no introduction. The organized crime groups appear throughout Japanese and American films. Next to the Italian mafia,they are the
ANIME OFFERS DIVERSITY, MORE THAN WE THINK When you hear the word anime, you likely think of today’s current styles: moe. But anime offers more diversity than that. Moe is a design that seeks to make you feel a warm protectiveness. Typically, this involves large eyes, small noses, small mouths, and oval faces. KESAGAKE THE MAN EATER A statue of Kesagake, the brown bear responsible for the worst bear attacks in Japanese history. Sometimes humans get a bit cocky. After all, our big brains and ability to produce advanced technology put us head and shoulders above other animals, especially when it comes tokilling power.
JAPAN, THE SEXLESS SOCIETY? By 2060, Japan is expected to have a population of 86.7 million, down from the peak of 128 million in 2008. At least 40% of the 86.7 million is expected to be 65 or older. As the population decline LIVING A WABI SABI LIFE Wabi-sabi doesn’t have an equivalent English word. The phrase itself is rather fun to say: wabi-sabi. The phrase describes an aesthetic, a feeling, that underlies our experiences of art and l WHAT IS A POSTMODERN ANIME? WHAT DOES POSTMODERNISM MEAN Wow, really interesting reading your words about postmodernism, when I was 14 and I watched Evangelion for the first time, I searched for the meanings in the anime and then I found postmodern philosophy, I moved away from the postmodern philosophy 2 years later, but I still very much like postmodern works (anime, of course, included), I think is the impact that EVA left in me, it’s very WHAT IS BEST FOR ANIME: STREAMING OR PHYSICAL MEDIA When I first began brainstorming this post, I considered visiting the old Blu-Ray versus DVD debate. It shares similarities with the older Betamax versus VHS battle. Only Blu TO UNDERSTAND JAPANESE HISTORY, STUDY CHINA One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are serious about studying Japanese culture, you must also study Chinese culture. THE LOYAL, BEAR-HUNTING AKITA Most cultures have their own breeds of dogs. Dogs have provided us with companionship, protection, and help for thousands of years. Dogswere brought
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Ever wonder what is up with all the blood types in celebrity bios and anime? Well, apparently in Japan blood type affects personality. The idea started with Furukawa Takeji and his paper “The Study of Temperament Through Blood Type” published in the scholarly journal Psychological Research. Since then, blood type is used as shorthand for anime character personality. JAPAN, ANIME, AND MANGA ESSAY IDEAS FOR HOMEWORK It is that time once again: back to school. That means essay writing! Part of the librarian profession is offering research help and writing instruction for high school and college students. THE CONFESSIONS OF LADY NIJO The Confessions of Lady Nijo is an example of Japan’s traditional women’s literature: the diary.Her father was the head of the Minamoto clan: Major Counselor Masatada, who served the Emperor from 1228-1272. Her mother was the niece of an Honorary Empress. KESAGAKE THE MAN EATER A statue of Kesagake, the brown bear responsible for the worst bear attacks in Japanese history. Sometimes humans get a bit cocky. After all, our big brains and ability to produce advanced technology put us head and shoulders above other animals, especially when it comes tokilling power.
BANZAI CHEER EXPLAINED According to dictionaries, the word banzai literally means ten thousand years.The word’s origins comes from the Chinese word wansui and dates roughly to the beginning of the Meiji period, around 1890 (banzai, n.d.).Banzai is considered an interjection and related to unused English interjections like hurrah and yippee.Perhaps the best equivalent is the British shout “Long live the king LIVING A WABI SABI LIFE Wabi-sabi doesn’t have an equivalent English word. The phrase itself is rather fun to say: wabi-sabi.The phrase describes an aesthetic, a feeling, that underlies our experiences of WORLD WAR II CARTOONS DEMONIZING JAPAN Of course, Japan also used the same methods for their propaganda. The first anime ever produced, Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors, is one of these pieces of propaganda.In later scenes, the film shows Japanese soldiers in the shape of animals battling stereotyped depictions of American and British soldiers and winning. THE COURAGE TO BE DISLIKED The Courage to be Disliked is stuffed with many different tools for self improvement, but the book may not be for everyone. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga combines Greek philosophy with German psychology in a distinctly Japanese package.JAPAN POWERED
Learn about Japan, Anime, and Culture. Tales of Ise is referenced throughout early Japanese literature. If you hadn’t read it, you won’t catch some of the meaning Sei Shonagon, Lady Nijo, Murasaki Shikibu, and other writers make through their references. Tales of Ise is a collection of 209 short stories and anecdotes written and collected somewhere between 850 CE and 950 CE. LIVING A WABI SABI LIFE Wabi-sabi doesn’t have an equivalent English word. The phrase itself is rather fun to say: wabi-sabi. The phrase describes an aesthetic, a feeling, that underlies our experiences of art and l TO UNDERSTAND JAPANESE HISTORY, STUDY CHINA One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are serious about studying Japanese culture, you must also study Chinese culture. WORLD WAR II CARTOONS DEMONIZING JAPAN Of course, Japan also used the same methods for their propaganda. The first anime ever produced, Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors, is one of these pieces of propaganda.In later scenes, the film shows Japanese soldiers in the shape of animals battling stereotyped depictions of American and British soldiers and winning. 28 HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT GEISHA AND GEIKO Geisha, or geiko as they are known in Kyoto, symbolize traditional Japanese culture. Their heyday in the early 1900s contributed to the exoticism the West felt toward Japan during the Meiji period. Many of those misconceptions remain about historical geisha. THE COURAGE TO BE DISLIKED The Courage to be Disliked is stuffed with many different tools for self improvement, but the book may not be for everyone. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga combines Greek philosophy with German psychology in a distinctly Japanese package. GENDER ROLES OF MEN IN JAPANESE SOCIETY Many trees have died to research the effects of Japan’s patriarchal society on women. I also did my part by killing digital trees. Surprisingly, not as much research has been done on men. Pat 1800S JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY: WINDOWS TO THE PAST Photographs are everywhere. Every cell phone has a camera stuffed into it. Selfies and photos in general are so ubiquitous that they often lack impact. Even the CHRISTIANITY'S REACTION TO EDO PERIOD PERSECUTION As persecution during the early Edo period increased, the Christian community turned away from venerating martyrdom. Instead, they went further underground, hiding behind Buddhist and Shinto practices to avoid complete extermination. WILL KYOTO ANIMATION CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE? On Thursday, July 18th 41-year-old Shinji Aoba entered the front door of Kyoto Animation with gasoline and set the building on fire. The fire killed 33 and injured more than 30 (Romo, 2019; Associated Press2019).
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Learn about Japan, Anime, and Culture. Tales of Ise is referenced throughout early Japanese literature. If you hadn’t read it, you won’t catch some of the meaning Sei Shonagon, Lady Nijo, Murasaki Shikibu, and other writers make through their references. Tales of Ise is a collection of 209 short stories and anecdotes written and collected somewhere between 850 CE and 950 CE. LIVING A WABI SABI LIFE Wabi-sabi doesn’t have an equivalent English word. The phrase itself is rather fun to say: wabi-sabi. The phrase describes an aesthetic, a feeling, that underlies our experiences of art and l TO UNDERSTAND JAPANESE HISTORY, STUDY CHINA One aspect of Japanology I’ve neglected so far is the role of China. I’ve only touched on it here and there throughout JP’s articles. But if you are serious about studying Japanese culture, you must also study Chinese culture. WORLD WAR II CARTOONS DEMONIZING JAPAN Of course, Japan also used the same methods for their propaganda. The first anime ever produced, Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors, is one of these pieces of propaganda.In later scenes, the film shows Japanese soldiers in the shape of animals battling stereotyped depictions of American and British soldiers and winning. 28 HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT GEISHA AND GEIKO Geisha, or geiko as they are known in Kyoto, symbolize traditional Japanese culture. Their heyday in the early 1900s contributed to the exoticism the West felt toward Japan during the Meiji period. Many of those misconceptions remain about historical geisha. THE COURAGE TO BE DISLIKED The Courage to be Disliked is stuffed with many different tools for self improvement, but the book may not be for everyone. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga combines Greek philosophy with German psychology in a distinctly Japanese package. GENDER ROLES OF MEN IN JAPANESE SOCIETY Many trees have died to research the effects of Japan’s patriarchal society on women. I also did my part by killing digital trees. Surprisingly, not as much research has been done on men. Pat 1800S JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY: WINDOWS TO THE PAST Photographs are everywhere. Every cell phone has a camera stuffed into it. Selfies and photos in general are so ubiquitous that they often lack impact. Even the CHRISTIANITY'S REACTION TO EDO PERIOD PERSECUTION As persecution during the early Edo period increased, the Christian community turned away from venerating martyrdom. Instead, they went further underground, hiding behind Buddhist and Shinto practices to avoid complete extermination. WILL KYOTO ANIMATION CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE? On Thursday, July 18th 41-year-old Shinji Aoba entered the front door of Kyoto Animation with gasoline and set the building on fire. The fire killed 33 and injured more than 30 (Romo, 2019; Associated Press2019).
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Learn about Japan, Anime, and Culture. Strain is a mecha anime without all the religious pretenses. In the distant future ( over 7000 ce), humans have colonized large swaths of the local galaxy.SLAVERY AND JAPAN
Japan, like nearly all nations. has a history of slavery. Many Western historians in the past believed the concept of freedom was imported toJapan from the
JAPANESE ART ARCHIVES Tales of Ise is referenced throughout early Japanese literature. If you hadn’t read it, you won’t catch some of the meaning Sei Shonagon, Lady Nijo, Murasaki Shikibu, and other writers make through their references. Tales of Ise is a collection of 209 short stories and anecdotes written and collected somewhere between 850 CE and 950 CE.. Murasaki in The Tale of Genji calls it aJAPAN POWERED
Learn about Japan, Anime, and Culture. Spice and Wolf has quickly become one of my favorite anime series. It is just so refreshinglydifferent.
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Sometimes anime writers just say “screw it” at the very end of a series. After 26 or more episodes of plot and character development, it’s like the writers get lazy and just cut the loose ends. A BRIEF LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE YAKUZA The yakuza need no introduction. The organized crime groups appear throughout Japanese and American films. Next to the Italian mafia,they are the
GENDER ROLES OF MEN IN JAPANESE SOCIETY Many trees have died to research the effects of Japan’s patriarchal society on women. I also did my part by killing digital trees. Surprisingly, not as much research has been done on men. Pat GENDER EXPECTATIONS OF EDO PERIOD JAPAN The Edo period made Japan Japan. This long segment of peace shaped Japanese gender expectations and continues to influence them today. Japan was once a matriarchal society. The influx of Confucian A LOOK AT GENDER EXPECTATIONS IN JAPANESE SOCIETY Thanks for the kind word. Well, you are both right. While homosexuality isn’t a part of identity as it is here in the West (see this article for more information), a guy can still dress with the goal of being effeminate.My girlfriend went to Tokyo last year (sadly, I was unable to go with her for various reasons), and her assigned liaison was a gay man who dressed and acted effeminate as THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND: PRINCE SHOTOKU Prince Shotoku stand out in Japanese history. During his lifetime, he was even seen as a Bodhisattva, a Buddhist saint, and he waseventually deified
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June 6, 2021 __0 comments on "The Fox Brothers and Old Tanuki’sTrick Chapter 5"
THE FOX BROTHERS AND OLD TANUKI’S TRICK CHAPTER 5They traveled until
mid-afternoon. Father allowed only a few short rests. By the time the fox brothers saw the village, their excitement had worn off, and exhaustion had taken its place. They stopped just inside the tree line and gazed at their first human village. Despite the sight, Mitsu couldn’t help but yawn. Wooden houses pushed against a dirt road that ran straighter than any forest trail. What looked like thin stone covered the tops of the houses. The houses looked different from what Mitsu imagined. He expected houses made from tree logs. Instead, the houses were made from wood that looked as smooth as a river pebble. Maybe Father was wrong about humans using trees to build houses. The closeness of the houses struck Mitsu as strange. He couldn’t understand how humans could live so close to each other. _Don’t they need room to run? Where do they find that odd stone for their roofs? _ People moved among the buildings. Mitsu expected to see more than the few that scurried about their various chores. When he focused closer on the humans, he blinked in surprise. The humans didn’t look anything like Father and Mother’s transformations. They wore drab clothing and stood shorter than Mitsu thought they would. They lacked the long graceful limbs and hair Mitsu expected. Perhaps it was because foxes were more graceful than humans were. Mitsu guessed that would make naturally graceful human transformations. Kitsu flopped on the ground. “I’m tired. Can we take a nap before we go in?” He yawned. “I like that idea,” Mitsu said. Something rustled in the brush around them, and a twig snapped with aresounding crack.
Suddenly, a rope net fell onto them. Father bellowed something, and Kitsu screeched as the weight settled over them. Humans armed with spears dropped down from the trees standing above the foxes. They landed and surrounded the foxes. They held their short spears atready.
Mitsu’s thoughts jumbled as he struggled against the thick, heavy mesh that held him to the forest floor. _How did Father not smell or hear them? How did they know where we were? _He kept one eye on the spear points and fought down his panic. The net refused to budge. He sank his teeth into the course straw rope, hoping to bite through the weave. However, the straw held. _I can’t give up._ He saw Kitsu biting and tearing at the rope as well. Their father sat on his haunches, staring at the men as if ordering them to remove the net. _Why doesn’t Father do something?_ The hunters moved closer. Mitsu growled and snapped through the net at the closest man. The man didn’t flinch. Instead, he smiled and smashed the blunt end of his spear into Mitsu’s head. Darkness shut out the world.LIKE THIS:
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May 30, 2021 __0 comments on "Tales of Ise"TALES OF ISE
_Tales of Ise_ is referenced throughout early Japanese literature. If you hadn’t read it, you won’t catch some of the meaning SeiShonagon
, Lady
Nijo, Murasaki Shikibu, and other writers make through their references. _Tales of Ise _is a collection of 209 short stories and anecdotes written and collected somewhere between 850 CE and 950 CE. Murasaki in _The Tale of Genji_calls
it a classic.
_Tales of Ise _contains work from many unknown writers. However, we do know the name of one: Ariwara no Narihira (825-880). Narihira was a bureaucrat, poet, and well-known lover. Throughout _Tales _Narihira appears to be a real-life Prince Genji. A passage in _Tales _gives us this idea: “Most men show consideration for the women they love and ignore the feelings of the ones who fail to interest them. Narihira made no such distinctions.” Most of _Tales of Ise_ focuses on courtly love. However, we know Narihira wasn’t the only author because of the differing writing styles and the fact his jisei,
or death poem, is included in Section 125: > Once a man was taken ill. Sensing the approach of his > death, he composed this poem:>
> _Upon this pathway,_>
> _I have long heard it said,_>
> _man set forth at last–_>
> _yet I had not thought to go_>
> _so very soon as today._ _Tales of Ise_ was seen as an example of how a sensitive courtier was supposed to behave, particularly toward women. However, I have to say for us modern readers, some of the behaviors may be troubling or offensive, such as this poem about love between brother and sister: > Once a man who was stirred by the beauty of his younger sister > composed this poem:>
> _It pains me to think_>
> _that another hand will bind_>
> _the young grasses–_>
> _the herbs so fresh and tender,_>
> _so ideal for sleeping._>
> She replied:
>
> _Why do you speak of me_>
> _in words as unfamiliar_>
> _as the sight of young grass_>
> _when springtime comes? Have I not_>
> _loved you in all innocence?_ Most of the collection feels like you are reading the romances of medieval Europe. You will see unrequited love, adultery, painful poems of longing, and expressions of love between husband and wife. Like the medieval romances, poetry dominates the work. _Tales of Ise_ shows how certain images where already established in Japanese literature, such as cherry blossoms, wet sleeves, autumn leaves, spring grasses, and other nature symbols. As I read the work, the melodrama of crying into sleeves became cliched. When you read later Heian literature, such as _The Tale of Genji _, you will see these cliches too. It seems _Tales _popularized these turns of phrases. It seemed all people did was cry at everything back then! Of course, this literary turn-of-phrase was meant to express the sensitivity of people. In fact, this sensitivity laid the foundation for one of the major themes in Japanese literature: impermanence. Impermanence is the realization that everything in life is temporary. Buddhism embeds this realization, and Japanese culture embraced it with its most iconic and beautiful symbols. Cherry blossoms, for example, exist for only a short time each spring. Watching the moon is only a single moment in time. Even the tea ceremony embraces the one-time, unrepeatable moment in time. In _Tales of Ise_‘s descriptions of love, we also see this idea of impermanence. Forexample:
> Once a man sent word to a woman, “I’ll > die if things go on like this.” She answered:>
> _If the white dew_>
> _must vanish, let it vanish._>
> _Even if it stayed,_>
> _I doubt that anyone_>
> _would string the drops like jewels._>
> The man considered the reply most discourteous, but his love for her> increased.
In the passage, the unnamed woman recognizes how their love was temporary and suggests she had already moved on. Their love was as impossible as stringing dew into a necklace. She embraced the idea of impermanence while Narihira didn’t accept it. Of course, her coy response was also part of the language of courtship at the time. This double layer of meaning (coyness and sophistication toward impermanence) is why his love for her increased. Japanese literature enjoys reading between the lines. _Tales _has this trend, but it reaches its culmination with Murasaki’s _The Tale of Genji _where most plot points happen behind the scenes and with what isn’t said. However, this indirect way of writing relies on the stand in symbols _Tales of Ise_ helped establish. The moon’s bittersweet beauty (again impermanence returns as a theme) provides anotherexample:
> Once a group of friends, no longer very young, where admiring the > moon together. One of them recited:>
> _As a general thing,_>
> _I take but little pleasure_>
> _in praising the moon._>
> _Does not its every circuit_>
> _make us a little older?_ Throughout _The Tale of Genji _the moon appears. Beyond the beautiful scene it allows Murasaki to describe, it also points to how fleeting the moments are for Genji, just like the above poem suggests for the friends. All of these interwoven references to symbols and other works makes literature interesting and complicated. Of course, English literature does the same. Every culture has its set of symbols and cliches that can make reading difficult unless you understand the linkages. Really, it is little different from how anime and manga areself-referential.
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. (1793 – 1804). Uwaki no sô = Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-4791-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99_Tales of Ise _provides an interesting and important read for anyone interested in Japanese literature. Many later Heian works point back to it. The collection reminds me of the Arthurian legends in many ways. You don’t see fighting or adventure, but the chivalry and love-affairs feel similar despite the time and cultural distance. Unlike the Arthurian legends, some sections of _Tales of Ise_ areharsh :
> Once there was a woman whose husband had neglected her for years. > Perhaps because she was not clever, she took the advice of an > unreliable person and became a domestic in a provincial household. > It happened one day that she served food to her former husband. That > night, the husband told the master of the house to send her to him. > “Don’t you know me?” he asked. Then he recited:>
> _Where is the beauty_>
> _you flaunted in days of old?_>
> _Ah! You have become_>
> _merely a cherry tree_>
> _despoiled of its blossoms._>
> The woman was too embarrassed to reply. “Why don’t you answer > me?” he asked. “I’m blind and speechless with tears,” she > said. He recited:>
> _Here is a person _>
> _who has wished to be rid_>
> _of her ties to me_>
> _Although much time as elapsed,_>
> _her lot seems little improved._>
> He removed his cloak and gave it to her, but she left it and ran > off–nobody knows where. Unlike the medieval romances, I have the distinct impression many of the anecdotes, such as the above, happened. _Tales of Ise_ appears to be a mix of fiction and true events. It provides an interesting view of Japanese culture and court sensibilities at the time. These sensibilities are similar to the the sensibilities of medieval (especially French) romances. _Tales of Ise _doesn’t feel as fresh and immediate as the works of Sei Shonagon or Lady Nijoor
the Gossamer Lady
. The
collection is more melodramatic to my modern eyes than the works of Japan’s great female writers. However, _Tales of Ise _remains interesting and readable with its glimpses of how people lived in the Japanese courts during the late 800s and early 900s.REFERENCES
Craig McCullough, Helen (1990) Classical Japanese Prose. StanfordUniversity Press.
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May 23, 2021 __2 comments on "Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book" SEI SHONAGON’S PILLOW BOOK Sei Shonagon’s _Pillow Book_ offers a look at the Imperial court from around 993 to the end of 1000, when she served as a lady-in-waiting for Empress Teishi. We don’t know Sei Shonagon’s true name. The name passed down to us combines the first character (Sei) of her clan name, Kiyowara, and her role at court as a Lesser Counselor (Shonagon). Her father, Motosuke (908-990) was a scholar and a bureaucrat. He helped compile imperial poetic anthology, which explains Sei Shonagon’s literary education. Throughout her _Pillow Book_, she references various poems and other literature. We don’t know what happened to her later in life. Legends include marrying or dying as an impoverished nun. Sei Shonagon’s P_illow Book_ isn’t the only of its kind. It is just the best known. A pillow book was essentially a diary. Sei Shonagon’s book was designed to be read by others while still appearing personal. The book contains reminiscences about court happenings, her opinions, her comments, sketches, and various lists. Such books were called pillow books because they were kept under pillows for adding entries at the end of the day. Sei Shonagon’s book would have caused a stir when it first circulated. It appears to be a diary, after all, even if she intended it to circulate. Jake Jung (2011) The Heian Period Comes Alive. https://flickr.com/photos/jacobjjung/6020974881 As for Sei Shonagon’s personality, she ranges from shallow and vindictive to showing her literary knowledge. Admittedly, my impression isn’t fair. Her shallowness has an element of desperation and boredom under it. After all, she and the other court women were well-educated and cloistered. Boredom appears to be a big problem. In one of her sketches, she and the court women build a mountain out of snow during a particularly snowy winter. They then make wagers as to when it will melt away that spring. Each day, Sei Shonagon watches the pile melt. She even asks a guard to protect it so she can win the contest. However, the Empress orders a retainer to kick the pile down the night before Sei Shonagon’s chosen date. The Empress regrets it and apologizes after Sei Shonagon gets upset. Sei Shonagon’s excitement at watching snow melt speaks of the boredom the court women had to fight against. Several other episodes, such as ones that deal with wayward dogs (which had court titles) and cats also speaks tothis.
When she and the court women travel, Sei Shonagon’s literary skill comes out. She takes special care to depict the scenery and court attire. Her descriptions are vivid windows to a gilded world that appears beautiful and tranquil, but has a sadness, a lack of purpose,under the gilding.
Her lists are interesting and provide a window into her thinking in ways that are perhaps better than her stories. Such as this list: > 155. Adorable Things>
> A child’s face drawn on a melon.>
> A baby sparrow that comes hopping over when we imitate a squeaking > mouse. It is also a pretty sight when the parent bird comes to feed > the chick an insect after we have tied a string to its leg.>
> When a child of two is crawling briskly along, it is adorable to see > it alertly spot a tiny curl of dust, pick it up with its dainty > fingers, and show it to an adult.>
> A child’s shoulder-length hair gets in her eyes, but she merely > tilts her head to look at things instead of brushing the hair back. > This is adorable–as is the fresh whiteness of the skirt cord tied > above the waist to hold back her sleeves.>
> The tiny pages at the Courtiers’ Hall are adorable as they walk > about in their splendid costumes.>
> A sweet child falls asleep, clinging to someone who has picked him > up to pet him for a moment. This is also a pretty sight.>
> Doll things. A very small lotus leaf plucked from a pond. A small > heartvine leaf. Anything small is adorable.>
> A roly-poly two-year-old with a delightfully fair complexion crawls > into view, dressed in a long, purplish-blue gossamer robe with the > sleeves tied back.>
> It is adorable to hear a boy of eight, nine, or ten change a Chinese > text with his childish voice.>
> A long-legged baby chick, its white body amusingly suggestive of a > shirt skirt, walks cheeping in someone’s wake or follows the> mother hen.
>
> Duck eggs. Wild pinks. Sei Shonagon liked children, it seems. She also made lists of things that made her uncomfortable or found disagreeable: > 320. Disagreeable Sights>
> Someone wearing a robe with a crooked back seam.>
> Someone wearing a collar pulled back.>
> A senior noble’s carriage with dirty inner curtains.>
> A child brought into the presence of a person the parent rarely> sees.
>
> A child wearing high clogs with a divided skirt (I realize that the > practice is currently popular).>
> A woman in travel costume walking fast.>
> A monk wearing a ying-yang master’s paper headdress while he > performs a purification ritual.>
> A thin, dark, plain woman with a switch in her hair sleeps with an > emaciated, heavily bearded man in the daytime. Who could possibly > enjoy looking at the two of them lying there? At night nobody can > see them, and besides, everyone else is asleep, so there is no need > for them to stay up in order to spare their companions an ugly > sight. They will be sufficiently considerate if they rise and go > away early in the morning.>
> A very superior person may appear moderately attractive after > awakening from a summer nap, but an ordinary face will be > glistening, puffy, and perhaps even distorted. When a couple see > each other under such circumstances, they must wonder if life is> worth living.
>
> It is most disagreeable to see a swarthy person wearing a singlet > made of thin unglossed silk. Glossed-silk singlets are transparent > too, but they do not look indecorous. The lists capture a touch of history, about some of the activities court ladies did to pass the time. They capture the fashion concerns of the time, or at least Sei Shonagon’s concerns. Taking care of children appears to have dominated the day. Speaking of history, Sei Shonagon’s accounts gives you a taste of the people behind history. Her account is painfully human at times, containing arguments and concerns and joys. You get to know a little about people long gone. History normally takes an abstract, fly-over view of events, making it easy to forget that history is about human stories. In particular, women’s perspectives are lost. However, Japanese literature has a long tradition of female poets and writers like Sei Shonagon. While we often don’t know their names, we have their voices and the fragmentsof their thoughts.
Sei Shonagon’s _Pillow Book_ gives you a good feel for who she was and a taste of the Imperial court. The book has the feel of a diary. As I read it, I wondered if Sei Shonagon had kept an even more personal diary, one not intended for others to read. I wondered what similar, private pillow books contained, what concerns, joys, and tears these women wrote about. Such books may follow literary patterns, but they also help us learn about the personalities behind them. That is more important that gleaning historical facts. Sei Shonagon’s _Pillow Book_ offers such value. It is an interesting, personal read that leaves you feeling as if you know a little aboutwho she was.
REFERENCES
Craig McCullough, Helen (1990) Classical Japanese Prose. StanfordUniversity Press.
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