reading guide
READING GUIDE
I'd like to introduce some recommended books.
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[Chinese Literature] Kozo Kawai, "Chinese Love Songs" (Iwanami Shoten), by Ai Yamazaki
What kind of image comes to mind when you think of Chinese poetry?
High school Chinese textbooks often feature works that sing of the horrors of nature and war. Perhaps because of this, some people may find Chinese poetry to be stiff and difficult to understand.
The book I would like to introduce, "Chinese Love Songs" (Iwanami Shoten) by Kawai Kozo, has the theme of love, a topic that is not often covered in high schools.
In ancient China, due to the influence of Confucian thought, there are said to have been few poems about love.
However, love is one of the main concerns of humans in their daily lives, and China was no exception.
For example, there is the "Cunning Child" from the Book of Songs, China's oldest collection of poetry.
That sneaky guy won't even talk to me.
Because of you, I can't even eat my food.
That sneaky guy won't even eat meals with me.
Because of you I can't even breathe.
When I introduced this piece in a lecture, one student wrote me the following comment: "It reminds me of Kana Nishino's 'I'm Trembling, Longing to See You So Much.'"
It is true that there may be some similarities in the way that the anxiety of a lover leaving is expressed not by using emotional expressions such as "painful" or "difficult," but by singing about the physical discomfort it causes.
The Book of Songs is said to have been compiled around the 6th century BC.
Did people who lived over 2,500 years ago express love in the same way we do today? It's fascinating.
In addition, various songs about passionate love and unbreakable love are unraveled with beautiful Japanese translations by Professor Kawai. This is a book that gives you a glimpse into a world slightly different from the Chinese poetry you come across in textbooks. -
[Modern Literature] Kaoruko Himeno, "Showa no Inu" (Gentosha) / Norihiro Kawaguchi, "Naoki Prize Story" (Basilico) / Takuma Fukuyama and Tomone Uemura, "Introduction to Naoki Sanjugo" (Shinpu Shobo) Hiroyuki Katayama (Professor Emeritus)
The 150th Naoki Prize was awarded to Himeno Kaoruko, a graduate of Department of Japanese Language and Literature. The work she won was "Showa no Inu" (Gentosha, September 2013). The title on the cover is accompanied by a photo of a dog and the subtitle "Perspective kid". The "perspective child" is the protagonist of this work, a woman named Kashiwagi Iku. The work is structured as a perspective look back at her life, almost 50 years from the age of 5 to 2008. Although it is a biography, it is not a story full of ups and downs, but a calm record of everyday scenes and interactions between people that most women and men born in Japan around 1955 to the present day will think, "That's what I was like," and which is written in a straightforward manner. Various dogs (and sometimes cats) always appear in the book, skillfully weaving together the protagonist's mental imagery and drawing the reader into a deep emotional experience. Himeno had been nominated for the Naoki Prize four times before winning this award (for "Junan" in 1997, "Tsu, I, Ra, Ku" in 2004, "Haruka Eighty" in 2006, and "Real Cinderella" in 2010). She is a regular nominee for the Naoki Prize and is a talented author with a passionate fanbase. She always surprises her readers and unfolds a wide range of worlds in her works, making it difficult to label her style in one word. Rather, it is her versatility that is her charm.
However, I think that her versatility delayed her receiving the Naoki Prize, in other words, the diversity of Himeno's world may have worked against her, making her difficult to grasp. In this regard, the judges' comments (All Yomimono, March 2014 special edition) are notable for pointing out the skillful perspective of the author (the viewpoint character) and the world, and this common understanding captures the essence of the work's appeal, and at the same time, it is a compliment that reflects a kind of "sense of security" among the judges. The reader is led by the author's unpretentious writing, and the story lands smoothly, letting itself go - this is a state of calm that is rare in Himeno's works. Two judges (Asada Jiro and Ijuin Shizuka) used the word "elegance" to describe this work, and this is probably an impression that underlies this "sense of security." Therefore, if we turn this around, we can see criticism such as "the sharp edges have been lost" and "it would have been better if it had been a bit more edgy" (Miyagiya Masamitsu), which shows affectionate feelings for Himeno's world, which has always been imbued with provocativeness.
Well, I think that the judges' assessment (the completion of a new harmonious and compatible state) is certainly correct. However, on the other hand, it is true that somewhere, there is a smoldering feeling that "I've been tricked..." This is because, I wonder if readers have unconsciously superimposed the protagonist, "Kashiwagi Iku," on the author, Himeno Kaoru herself as they read the story. The basic details of Iku, such as his background and age, seem to match those in Kaoru's blogs, essays, and other information published in journalism. Also, readers of my generation, like myself, are caught up in the casual but meticulously woven rhetoric of the times written into the work and the titles of TV programs used in the chapter divisions, and when we are led to the ending where we think "I was born in a good era," we can't help but feel attached to it (that's right. This is a memoir unique to Himeno, who looks back on her life at the turning point of 50 years old). However, do we have enough basis to understand this work as an autobiographical novel in this way? When I heard the news that Himeno had won the Naoki Prize, my first thought was Himeno in trousers, dressed as Kato Cha's bald old man, which I had seen on her blog. Until recently, it was almost legendary that Himeno was a writer who never showed her real face. Her job meant that she had to be exposed in journalism, but it was always a false appearance, and she tried her best to avoid showing her real face. Her whole life, including herself, was fiction -- I understood this to be Himeno's aesthetic as a writer. So I speculated that with "Showa no Inu," she had completed a new card to play with readers, this time using an autobiographical writing style.
However, when Himeno appeared on TV for the press conference, she was wearing a jersey that she had rushed over from the gym, and her bare face was bathed in the flashes of the cameras, smiling. (After all, Himeno had gotten over it. "Showa no Inu" was "Himeno Kaoru's semi-autobiography.") I thought to myself. But the next day, while still basking in the afterglow of "Tenbare Nihonbun!", I started up my computer and was left speechless by an email I had received from a graduate. "Professor, Himeno did it. By the way, did you notice that jersey? It's NIKE. Nike, Naoki."
*I have also included reference books about the Naoki Prize and Naoki Sanjugo. Please read them as well. -
[Modern Literature] Ken Hirano, Hideo Odagiri, and Kenkichi Yamamoto (eds.), "History of Contemporary Japanese Literary Debates: Volumes 1, 2, and 3" (Miraisha), by Izumi Sato
This three-volume book covers 25 literary debates in total, from the "One Declaration" debate at the end of the Taisho era to the "National Literature" debate during the war, and features writings by several authors on each. What on earth was the literary scene discussing at that time, gathering so many commentators in such a short period of time? Let me give you a few examples. The "content value" debate, which was started by Kikuchi Kan, was the axis of conflict over whether what is important in a novel is the artistic quality of the writing, or the value inherent in the content of the story itself. Or the "prose art" debate, which began with Hirotsu Kazuo's statement, asks what is the uniqueness of prose art (fiction) among other artistic genres such as verse (poetry), painting, and music. Hirotsu Kazuo developed his own theory that prose is the genre closest to real life compared to other genres, and therefore being "impure" as art is the "pure" way of being as a novel. Other debates include those over "methods of criticism," those over "sense of purpose," those over "popularizing art," those over "political value" and "artistic value," those over "politics and literature," those over "pure fiction," those over "thought and real life," and those over the "weakness of literature."
Arishima Takeo, who "declared" that the people who should take on "labor issues" and the "labor movement" must be the workers themselves, and that therefore he, who was born into a wealthy family, could not speak out on the matter; Akutagawa Ryunosuke, who questioned whether the interesting "plot" was an essential issue for a novel and then committed suicide shortly thereafter; Tanizaki Junichiro, who opposed Akutagawa and argued that the essence of a novel is the plot, that is, a strong sense of structure; and furthermore Yokomitsu Riichi of modernism, Nakano Shigeharu of the proletarian literature movement, and Kobayashi Hideo, who exerted influence in the critical genre, all appeared one after another, and each clarified their own position in the debate.
It was not only literary figures in the narrow sense who intervened in literary debates. Hajime Kawakami and Sakae Osugi were thinkers or social activists rather than literary professionals, but they also took part in literary debates in earnest. An incredibly diverse debate unfolded, involving a wide variety of speakers. This landscape is very different from the discourse space of today. In this era, reading novels was not a matter of individual hobby. Discussing literature and issues surrounding literature meant asking what society considers to be "value," and there was a common understanding that "value" needs to be discussed from many different perspectives. There is no doubt that the people who appear in this three-volume book were all people who loved to debate, or in other words, noisy people. However, it was not just the individual qualities of the people at the time that made this era an era of debate. There was a common understanding among people that talking about literature was also a way of predicting social trends, and this was why a wide range of discussion spaces were established. It was because of this space that great debates frequently took place that literature could be a public square.
Therefore, the usual reading method of reading these three volumes from start to finish and being moved by them is not really appropriate. Moreover, rather than "reading," it would be more appropriate to say "using" in this case. When we come face to face with a work, whether we are aware of it or not, we should have a contemporary interest and a sense of problems in the "here and now." Using that interest as a starting point, I think the correct way to read and use it is to find past debates that are not in the "here and now," to meet people who thought in different times and spaces and from various positions, and to be prepared to engage in dialogue.
It is an old book. It was published in 1956, so the pages of the version I have are yellowed. However, half a century later, in 2006, the same Miraisha publisher published a new edition with a fresh makeover. This was probably prompted by the momentum to look back on that era. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Japanese literature to pick up a copy somewhere. The Department of Department of Japanese Language and Literature 's joint research lab also has all three volumes in good condition. -
[Japanese language studies] Akira Mikami, "Elephants have long noses" (Kuroshio Publishing) Yasuhiro Kondo (Professor Emeritus)
This book is one of the two that made me decide to study Japanese language in the future when I was in high school. The other book was "Meikai Kokugo Jiten" (the predecessor of the current "Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten") edited by Kyosuke Kindaichi, but since it is a dictionary, I will talk about it on another occasion. Here, I would like to introduce "Elephants have long noses".
"Elephants have long noses" was published by Kuroshio Publishing in 1960, so it is already half a century old, but there are still many things that are written in it that have yet to be clarified in the world of Japanese language studies. Let's take a look at what it says specifically.
In Japanese, there are many sentences that seem to have double subjects, such as "Elephants have long noses" and "Japan has many hot springs," as in "XX is XX is...." There are also sentences where not only the subject but also the object of the verb "to buy" seems to be indicated by "wa," such as "this book is" in "My father bought me this book." This book by Mikami Akira clearly explains the nature of such complex "wa... is... ga..." sentences (which later came to be called "elephant trunk sentences" after the title of the book) by using the "substituting" nature of the particle "wa" to make it easy to understand.
The substitute nature of the particle "wa" is the idea that in the sentence "We throw away the leaves of the radish" (from a cooking show), for example, this "wa" is a substitute (substitute) for "no" in "radish leaves." This makes it possible to easily explain that "Elephants have long noses" means "Elephants have long noses," and "My father bought me this book" means "My father bought me this book." The author then goes on to explain why it substitutes, saying that it is to indicate the "title" of the sentence, and goes on to make the argument that Japanese has no subject and is a language with the "title" at its core. This book is widely known in academic circles today as the first book to clarify the nature of the Japanese "wa."
Currently, there are many who disapprove of Mikami's claim that Japanese does not have a subject, but many of the issues that Mikami raised in this book are generally accepted as they are, and this book is regarded as the foremost research book on the concept of "topic" in Japanese grammar research.
What is amazing and interesting about Mikami's research is the breadth of the content it shows. For example, he gives the following example, stating that the substitute "wa" becomes the antecedent "wa".
The tiger did not show his face.
In this sentence, "Tora wa" exists as the antecedent of "sono". Similar examples include "The term of office of the Trustee is two years" and "His arm started to itch". The relationship between the "wa" in "daiko" and the "wa" in "sende" also harbours complex problems. Other examples include "to kitara" (if there is a title), "to ikeba" (if there is a title), and "to kita hi ni wa" (if there is a title). It is surprising that the latest research is dealing with a group of vocabulary called compound words.
Furthermore, in the expanded appendix, "Comparison of Japanese and English Grammar," the issue of ergative languages (a type of language in which the subject and object are completely different from those in Japanese and English; found, for example, in Australian Aboriginal languages) is touched upon; however, this is something that has only recently become a topic of discussion in academic circles, 50 years after the book was published, and it is clear that Mikami's perspective was several decades ahead of the academic world at the time.
There are many books written by gifted scholars in the world of natural sciences, but not many in the world of linguistics. This book certainly belongs to that category, and I believe it is a suitable book for the younger generation to learn about the depth of linguistic research. -
[Medieval Literature] Akihiro Satake, "The Philosophy of Folktales" by Shinichi Saeki (Professor Emeritus)
Not many high school students have a clear image of what it means to study Japanese classical literature at university. Still, some specific examples may come to mind, such as studying the text of The Tale of Genji or studying poets of the Manyoshu. However, literary studies encompasses a wide range of subjects, and it is difficult to define in a few words. Here, we will introduce an area of classical literature studies that is perhaps less well known.
This book begins with the name of a character called "Matakurozaemon" who appears in a kyogen play. The author thinks that the name was "matashi" (matai), meaning honest or serious. Today, he would probably be called "Majio" (Maji man).
So what kind of person would be worthy of this name? The author looks to the honest old men who live in the world of old tales as a model. These are the honest and kind-hearted old men who appear in familiar old tales such as "The Tongue-Cut Sparrow," "The Old Man Who Made Flowers Bloom," and "The Pure Land of the Mouse" (Omusubi Kororin).
What? Are old tales "classical literature"? No, no, in medieval literature (Kamakura to Muromachi period), there are many stories that are now known as "old tales," "folk tales," or "children's stories," such as tale collections like "Uji Shui Monogatari" and "Shasekishu," or the group of works known as otogi zoshi (fairy tales), (of course, they can be found in other periods as well). Among the otogi zoshi, there is "The Tale of Fukutomi Choja," which is based on the strange story format of a "farting old man," and it occupies an important position in this book.
Now, thanks to the goodness of these honest old men, unlike the mean old man and greedy old woman next door, they are blessed with good fortune, receive treasures, and are able to live happily. Why is this? The idea that "good people will be rewarded well" can be expressed as "karma," a Buddhist term. Buddhism has been introduced to Japan since ancient times, but it is not an original Japanese ideology. The author believes that stories of the common people, such as folk tales, were not originally created based on Buddhist teachings. So what kind of thinking underpinned such stories?
Of course, investigating the complex theories conceived by geniuses is part of literary research, but another aspect of literary research is looking at stories that were thought up and passed down by countless ordinary, nameless people from various angles. Such research may shed light on the roots of the ways of thinking that we have vaguely acquired today. This is one example of how the study of classical literature can connect to the present.
The author, Satake Akihiro (1927-2008), was a magnificent and versatile researcher who not only studied the difficult words in the Manyoshu, but also vividly analyzed old tales and popular works like this one (the Satake Akihiro Collection is currently being published). What is consistent in his research of the Manyoshu and folk tales is the method of thoroughly examining a single word from a broad perspective and bringing its meaning to life. This brilliant technique can be said to be a model for literary research. Please read it and understand that this is also literary research.
* "Thoughts on Folktales" (Heibonsha). Included in the third volume of "Satake Akihiro Collection" (Iwanami Shoten), "The Foundations of Folktales." -
[Modern Literature] Kikuchi Kan, "Semi-Autobiography/Diary of an Unknown Writer" by Katayama Hiroyuki (Professor Emeritus)
Do you know the author Kikuchi Kan?
We all know about the Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize. They could be said to be the most prestigious literary prizes of the approximately 600 currently awarded. They were founded by Kikuchi Kan. Akutagawa Ryunosuke was his best friend. They began their literary activities together in the coterie magazine "Shinshicho," but Akutagawa was the first to enter the literary world. This was because his short story "The Nose" (The Nose) was highly praised by Natsume Soseki.
For young literary scholars, Natsume Soseki was like a god, so to be appreciated by him was a great honor, and it was like a stamp of approval that you could make it as a professional writer. Akutagawa was suddenly thrust into the limelight, making a spectacular debut as a writer, and he became the darling of the literary world, an idol, so to speak, as he continued to write prolifically.
On the other hand, Kikuchi Kan did not receive any recognition from Soseki, and while he supported himself as a newspaper reporter, he continued to write steadily, but he was not making any progress, and he was driven to the point of giving up on his dream of becoming a writer. The difference between him and Akutagawa was clear.
Then Kikuchi got his final chance. He received a manuscript request from the prestigious magazine Chuokoron. It was said that if his work was successful, his status as a writer would be guaranteed. Kikuchi wrote a short story called "Diary of an Unknown Writer" and sent it to him. However, after reading the manuscript, the editor-in-chief asked Kikuchi, "Isn't this a disservice to Akutagawa-san?"
The "Diary of an Unknown Writer" describes the frustration and despair of the unknown writer, Kikuchi Kan, who is about to give up his dream of becoming a writer in the shadow of the brilliant appearance of the genius Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and his ugly and obvious jealousy and curses towards Akutagawa. Akutagawa is portrayed as a thoroughly cold-hearted, spiteful and unpleasant person. Of course, the characters are not real names. However, it is written in such a way that readers at the time would immediately know that this is about the popular Akutagawa. As a result, as a work that exposes the true nature of the literary idol of the time, "Diary of an Unknown Writer" aroused sensational interest and succeeded in attracting the attention of critics. This was a turning point for Kikuchi Kan, who set out on the path to becoming a "famous writer" on par with Akutagawa.
So, did this incident destroy the friendship between Akutagawa and Kikuchi? When I think of Kikuchi Kan, who later founded the Akutagawa Prize, I would like to think that it was not the case... What do you all think? Please read it for yourself.
* "Semi-Autobiography/Diary of an Unknown Writer" (Iwanami Bunko) 660 yen -
[Chinese Literature] Hajime Kawakami's "Autobiography" and Shigeharu Nakano's "Poetry's Farewell" by Masami Ogami (Professor Emeritus)
I went straight from the entrance exam venue to Tokyo Station, and while waiting for the return "Limited Express Hato", I searched for Maruzen in Nihonbashi in early spring, the year the Shinkansen was to open that October. Impelled by a blind desire to read a real book, I ended up buying Kawakami Hajime's Autobiography Vol. 1 (Iwanami Shinsho, now included in the Iwanami Bunko series). I happened to pick it up without any preconceptions, but as I was starting a new life, I guess my interest turned to the flesh and blood of a man's life. At the time, I copied out in my notebook the part that spoke of the man's consistent inner quest for truth, living a complex life in difficult times.
"Whatever appears before me as the truth, I will always accept it immediately without any hesitation, no matter what it may be, and once I have accepted it, I will persist in it, digging deeper and deeper until I understand it, but as long as I still believe it to be the truth, I will not dare to consider my life or my own, I will ignore praise or criticism, and, with a heart as humble as possible, I will unconditionally and thoroughly submit to it and follow it single-mindedly, everywhere...However, as I proceed absorbedly with this mindset, as soon as I come to see that what I initially thought was the truth is not so, at that moment, without being tethered to any beginnings, I will immediately and resolutely discard it. This is my true nature."
My image of what a university is was imprinted with this persistent sentence. I then read Nakano Shigeharu's Uta no Wakare ("Mura no Ie, Ojisan no Hanashi, Uta no Wakare" Kodansha Bunko), and eventually realized that in order to part ways with the thoughts and sensibilities that had been ingrained in me up until that point, I would have to grapple with classical Chinese literature, which was far removed from me. It was not necessarily a paradox that the classics were aimed at my new self.
*Hajime Kawakami (1879-1946): Economist.
* Nakano Shigeharu (1902-1979) Novelist and poet -
[Heian Literature] Saigo Nobutsuna's "Shadows of the Classics" by Takada Yuhiko
What image comes to your mind when you hear the word "classic"?
I think that most people are aware that it has some vague value, but perceive it as old-fashioned and difficult to relate to, or as something that makes them feel oppressive. I can well understand the feelings of young people like you.
However, don't you think it's strange that classics, which are "old things," have value to us who live toward the future? The reason is that classics have not become accepted as common knowledge and continue to be read. This is because classics "do not become outdated." What does it mean for them to not become outdated even as times change?
Let the author of this book answer that question.
A classic is great not merely for what it says, but for what it seeks to say, that is, for the shadow of intent it casts on us.
Simply put, "intentionality" refers to the direction in which something is directed. What the author wants to say here is that classics are not read only as the result of what has already been written, but that the hidden possibilities contained within what has been written can also be read, and that it is precisely because of these rich possibilities that classics have continued to be read as classics.
This book fully explores the appeal of these classics, as well as the difficulty and excitement of studying them as an academic subject.
This is a must-read book for anyone who values the classics, as well as for those who want to think carefully about the meaning of the classics and those who want to know what classical scholarship is all about.
* Saigo Nobutsuna (1916-): Classical scholar.
He has written many books, including "Studies on the Kojiki," "The Origin of Poetry," and "Ancient People and Dreams."