Japanese Literature for the High School Classroom

An annotated bibliography compiled and edited by the Educational Outreach Department Japan Society

Dear Educator, Japan has a rich literary heritage that offers readers a doorway into Japanese history and culture. For high school readers Japanese literature can bring alive the historical characters they may meet in social studies class. Japan also offers a fascinating comparison to the literature of western or other Asian countries. Japanese literature has always been closely related to the visual arts and offers countless subjects that can be transformed into a variety of art forms. This annotated bibliography was prepared to help high school educators e plore the world of Japanese literature that is appropriate for use in their classrooms. !ecause of the great breadth of subject matter in Japanese literature, it is often difficult to find wor"s that fit into the interest and lives of young people. To ma"e the search easier we offer this list of wor"s that has been reviewed by a committee of high school educators. The wor"s span the literary spectrum from verse, drama, and essays to novels, diaries, and short stories. #ome of the wor"s, such as $$th century The Tale of Genji, are well%"nown masterpieces of world literature. &ther pieces, such as the $'(' short story, TV People, e amine technology and its effect on contemporary urban society. The reviewers were as"ed to rate the wor"s according to their suitability in the high school classroom on a scale from $ )not suitable* to $+ )very suitable*. All of the wor"s were well% "nown by those who follow the world of Japanese literature. ,t was the aim of this review, not to give an e haustive listing of the great wor"s of Japanese literature, but to offer only those wor"s that are can be used with young adults. ,n early $''( a group of eighteen educators who teach social studies, literature, art, English%as%a%second language, as well as other disciplines, were as"ed to review forty%five wor"s of Japanese literature. -henever possible, the reviewers were also given bac"ground information regarding the wor"s and the authors they were as"ed to review. Each wor" was read by two to five reviewers who were given several wee"s to read the wor"s. They then submitted written summaries, highlighted themes, and gave suggestions for classroom activities and discussions. The reviewers, as a whole group, met to discuss their final views on certain wor"s. -e commend the reviewers on their e cellent wor". They offered thorough e aminations and insightful comments on each of the wor"s. -e e tend a special than"s to all of them for underta"ing this tas". The resulting bibliography is a compilation of the wor" of the reviewers that has been edited by the staff of the Educational &utreach Department at the Japan #ociety. The Educational &utreach Department ta"es full responsibility for any mista"es or omissions in this bibliography. Elaine .u"ov Director Educational &utreach /// East 01th #treet 2ew 3or", 23 $++$1 4hone5 )6$6* 1$7%$617 Fa 5 )6$6* 1$7%$686 email5 evu"ov9japansociety.org

Literature Review Participants

Susan Curtin Scott Endsley Linda old Lynne reenfield Sidney Hodges Jeffrey Le&its#y Angela Magliano Kathleen Moran )onald "atterson A%y )athge( Lois )ef#in Edith )o(erts arret So#oloff Lois Sta&s#y Anthony +alentin ,ennis +ellucci Janice .arner .arren .yss

Martin Luther King, Jr. High School New School for Arts and Sciences !he "ac#er Collegiate $nstitute !ownsend Harris High School High School for Health "rofessions and Hu%an Ser&ices 'iorello H. La uardia High School Her(ert H. Leh%an High School Middle College High School *roo#lyn 'riends School New School for Arts and Sciences Hunter College High School Midwood High School at *roo#lyn College 'oreign Language Acade%y of lo(al Studies Seward "ar# High School Stuy&esant High School Arch(isho- Molloy High School Hunter College High School High School of Art and ,esign All of the high schools are in New York City Educational Outreach Department Japan Society

Addie Male, Education Assistant Shiho /chiai, "rogra% Coordinator Elaine +u#o&, ,irector

Educational Outreach programs are generously funded by The Freeman Foundation.

Contents
Note: Where no author is given, the work is anonymous Page

Classical an Heian Perio !"##$%%&'(

an!yoshu "Collection of Ten Thousand #ea$es% 1ca. 23342536 &okinshu "Collection of Ancient and odern 'oems% 1ca. 8356 The (ossamer Years) The *iary of a Noblewoman of +eian ,apan 185948296 The 'illow -ook 1late 73th C6 (y Sei Shonagon The Tale of (en.i 1early 77th C6 (y Murasa#i Shi#i(u 77 72 70 79 75

)e ieval an *okugawa Perio s !%%&'$%&+&(

An Account of y +ut 172726 (y Ka%o no Cho%ei The Tale of the +eike 1ca. 72536 Essays in /dleness 1ca. 70936 (y :oshida Ken#o Tied to a 'ole0 The *elicious 'oison0 +iding the -adger 1ca. 70536 Atsumori 175th C6 (y ;ea%i Moto#iyo 1umidagawa "1umida 2i$er% 175th C6 (y ;ea%i Moto#iyo Narrow 2oad to the /nterior 17<=86 (y Matsuo *asho The #o$e 1uicides at 1one3aki 172306 (y Chi#a%atsu Mon>ae%on Chushingura) The Treasury of #oyal 2etainers 1729=6 (y !a#eda $>u%o, Miyoshi Shora#u, and Na%i#i Senryu ,ournal of y Father!s #ast *ays 17=376 and A Year of y #ife 17=786 (y Ko(ayashi $ssa 78 27 20 25 22 28 07 00 09 05

Late %,th an -arly .#th Centuries

Child!s 'lay 17=8548<6 (y Higuchi $chiyo -otchan 1783<6 (y Natsu%e Sose#i The 2a3or 178736 (y Shiga Naoya 2ashomon and Other 1tories 178756 (y A#utagawa )yunosu#e The 1hopboy!s (od 178786 (y Shiga Naoya The /3u *ancer 178226 (y Kawa(ata :asunari 08 93 97 92 90 99

Late .#th Century

The 1ea and 'oison 1785=6 (y Endo Shusa#u The 4oman in the *unes 178<26 (y A(e Ko(o -lack 2ain 178<<6 (y $(use Masu?i +uman Ashes 178<<6 (y /da Katsu>o 1outh 4ind 1782=6 (y !sushi%a :u#o The 1amurai 178=36 (y Endo Shusa#u oonlight 1hadow 178=<6 (y :oshi%oto *anana &itchen 178=26 (y *anana :oshi%oto The +oney Flower (y Atoda !a#ashi 1alad Anni$ersary 178=26 (y !awara Machi The Yamada *iary 178==6 (y !a#eno Masato T5 'eople 178=86 (y Mura#a%i Haru#i 6ne7pected uteness (y /e Ken>a(uro Flame Trees (y Ki>a#i Sato#o /nthologies of Japanese Literature0*heater 92 9= 98 53 57 52 50 59 55 5< 52 5= 58 <3

<7 9

Classical an Heian Perio !"##$%%&'(

)an1yoshu (Collection of *en *housan Leaves (ca! "##$"%#

&ype o' wor() poetry Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$*# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !he an!yoshu, the oldest collection of Ja-anese -oetry, was co%-iled in the =th century and consists of %ore than 9,333 -oe%s, so%e of which date fro% as early as the 5th century. .hile consisting %ainly of 07 sylla(le -oe%s 1tanka, also called waka6, it also contains %any e@a%-les of long -oe%s 1choka6. !he su(?ect %atter of the -oe%s &aries fro% tra&el descri-tions to elegies and -oe%s of lo&e and loss. !here are also -oe%s reflecting Chinese and *uddhist influences. !he an!yoshu -oe%s are direct and accessi(le to any audience unfa%iliar with Ja-anese culture and the con&entions of Ja-anese -oetry. &hemes) )elations (etween %en and wo%enA relations (etween -arents and childrenA %arital relations in ancient Ja-anA lo&e and de&otionA futility of attach%ents in lifeA i%-er%anence of life. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Ha&e students write BdialogueC and Ben&oyC -oe%s. Co%-are the ancient tanka with %odern tanka in 1alad Anni$ersary (y Machi !awara. /ibliography) an!yoshu. $n Anthology of ,apanese #iterature from the earliest era to the mid8nineteenth century, co%-iled and edited (y ,onald Keene, --. 00450. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 7855. 0ommentary) Keene, ,onald. B!he ManEyoshu and Ko#inshu Collections.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 0<04022. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 29422. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==.

<

2okinshu (Collection of /ncient an )o ern Poems (ca! ,#%

&ype o' wor() poetry Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$1 +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !he &okinshu, co%-leted in 835 A,, is the first collection of -oetry s-onsored (y the i%-erial fa%ily. Al%ost all of -oe%s in this collection are in the for% of waka 1also referred to as tanka6, consisting of 07 sylla(les in fi&e lines. E&en though %any of the -oe%s are suggesti&e and indirect in their %eaning, these -oe%s of lo&e, loss and i%-er%anence can (e understood (y any audience. !here are 7,777 -oe%s in the co%-lete collection. &hemes) *uddhist the%es of i%-er%anence and the fleeting nature of lifeA %arital relations in early Ja-anA lo&e and loss of a lo&ed one. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Ha&e students write their own -oe%s. Co%-are the ancient tan#a with %odern tan#a in 1alad Anni$ersary 178=26 (y Machi !awara. /ibliography) &okinshu. $n Anthology of ,apanese #iterature, edited (y ,onald Keene, --. 2<4=7. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 7855. &wo complete translations o' the 2okinshu- both containing commentary) McCullough, Helen Craig, trans. &okin 4akashu) The First /mperial Anthology of 'oetry. StanfordD Stanford Fni&ersity "ress, 78=5. )odd, Laurel ). and Mary C. Hen#enius, trans. &okinshu0 A Collection of 'oems Ancient and odern. *ostonD Cheng G !sui Co%-any, 788<. 0ommentary) Keene, ,onald. B!he ManEyoshu and Ko#inshu Collections.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 0<04022. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 2=402. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==.

*he 3ossamer 4ears: *he 5iary of a No6lewoman of Heian Japan (,%2$,"2

&ype o' wor() diary Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) 4$, +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) The (ossamer Years is an auto(iogra-hical wor# (y a %e%(er of the aristocracy of the Heian -eriod #nown to us only as MichitsunaEs %other. !he wor# centers on the authorEs relationshiwith her hus(and and enco%-asses a -eriod of a(out 23 years 185948296. As a secondary wife in a -olyga%ous culture in 73th century Ja-an, the author recounts her initial ha--iness in the %arriage, soon to (e followed (y anger, ?ealousy and finally, resignation. &hemes) !he role of aristocratic wo%en during the Heian -eriodA the difficulties of li&ing within a -olyga%ous societyA religious (elief syste%s that su--orted this cultural -racticeA the -assing on of societyEs e@-ectations to younger generations. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Students can e@a%ine a diary as a literary %ediu%, how it illustrates the relationshi- to the actions of the characters and the co%-le@ities surrounding their li&es, and gi&es &oice to their thoughts and e%otions. )eading this (oo# in con?unction with The Tale of (en.i and The 'illow -ook, (oth written (y educated Heian court wo%en, offers o--ortunities for great co%-arisons and contrasts in ter%s of the characters, writing style and related the%es. !his is a &ery good wor# to use in social studies classes in understanding the attitudes and culture of the Heian "eriod. *oo# /ne and the first section of *oo# !hree can (e used to introduce classical Ja-anese culture. !he (oo# would wor# e@tre%ely well in a wo%enEs historyHliterature course in which co%-arisons can (e %ade with wo%en in ancient China andHor -re4%odern Euro-e. !he students %ay want to u-date this wor# to a conte%-orary setting, as certain attitudes and a--roaches to life are readily identifia(le and can (e related to (y students. /ibliography) Seidenstic#er, Edward ., trans. The (ossamer Years) The *iary of a Noblewoman of +eian0 ,apan. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 78<9. 0ommentary) )uch, *ar(ara. BA *oo# of /neEs /wnD !he ossa%er :earsA !he "illow *oo#A and the Confessions of Lady Ni?o.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 935493=. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889.

*he Pillow 7ook (late *#th 0 by Sei Shonagon

&ype o' wor() essay5diary Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) 1$*# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) The 'illow -ook is a rando% series of o(ser&ations, descri-tions of e&ents and cere%onies, and lists and -oe%s, written (y a no(le wo%an in the late 73th century. .hile not a diary per se, the (oo# offers a rich -ortrait of life at the Heian court. !he lists, on such to-ics as B!hings /ne is Li#ely to NeglectC and BHateful !hings,C are thought4-ro&o#ing and highly reada(le. !hey can often (ring a s%ile of recognition to the conte%-orary reader des-ite the ten centuries se-arating the% fro% the author. !he (oo# re&eals that the author was a highly s-irited -erson with a shareye and a caustic tongue, ca-a(le of creating &i&id i%ages with a few well4chosen words. !he structure is &ery fle@i(le so a teacher could easily ada-t it in a nu%(er of ways to suit students. &hemes) Heian court life, including the relationshi-s (etween %en and wo%enA the co%-le@ social hierarchy of the -eriodA art and aesthetics of the -eriodA the eclectic religious (eliefs with the co4 e@istence of Shinto, *uddhis% and othersA the etiIuette of court lifeA education of wo%enA and filial -iety. Suggestions 'or classroom) !he wor#, taught in con?unction with The Tale of (en.i andHor The (ossamer Years, offers an e@cellent o--ortunity for interdisci-linary wor# a%ong art, social studies and literature courses. Each student can create a B-illow (oo#C44a series of lists, o(ser&ations, rules of -ro-er (eha&ior, descri-tions of uniIue -laces, and so on. !he for% is re%ar#a(ly fle@i(le and can easily (e relocated to conte%-orary New :or#, the intrigues of a soccer tea% or todayEs -olitical situation. Students can also for%ulate their own lists with to-ics such as, B!hings which are )eassuringly !ediousC or B!hings which are $nitially ,ece-ti&e.C /ibliography) Morris, $&an, ed., trans. The 'illow -ook of 1ei 1honagon. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 7887. 0ommentary) Morris, $&an. The 4orld of the 1hining 'rince) Court #ife in Ancient ,apan. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational. !his is an e@cellent study of court life in ancient Ja-an. An educator can re&eal to their students that a ci&ili>ation, re%ote in ti%e and -lace, is well worth the effort to disco&er. )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 99492. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. )uch, *ar(ara. BA *oo# of /neEs /wnD !he ossa%er :earsA !he "illow *oo#A and the Confessions of Lady Ni?o.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 93=4972. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889.

*he *ale of 3en8i (early **th 0 by 6urasa(i Shi(ibu (ca! ,"1$*#*%

&ype o' wor() novel Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$, +rade levels) **th- *.th Summary) Set in Heian Ja-an 1289477=56, The Tale of (en.i focuses on the ro%antic intrigues of en?i, the BShining "rince,C at the $%-erial Court. en?i, re-resenting the ideal aristocrat of his ti%e and -lace, is handso%e, refined and s#illed at the arts of -oetry, dance, calligra-hy and lo&e. !he tale (egins with the story of en?iEs -arents and of his (irth and childhood, %arred (y the early death of his %other. !he central ro%ance of the (oo# is that of en?i and Murasa#i, who% en?i %et when she was a child and which for%s one of his %ost lasting and -rofound attach%ents. Also included are his liaisons with other wo%en, %ost nota(ly with his fatherEs %ain wife, and his (anish%ent fro% court. &hemes) !he %eaning of -olitical -ower44fro% the (eginning of the story the reader sees how -ower is acIuired and %aintained in Heian Ja-an. .ithout a--ro-riate B(ac#ing,C no one, %ale or fe%ale, can acIuire -ower at the court, yet to (e held too %uch in fa&or (y the e%-eror could cause ?ealousy and -ro&o#e ri&alry. !he status of wo%en in Heian Ja-an. .o%en sur&i&e in worlds in which co%-le@ and hea&ily nuanced social %ores do%inate life and in which B(ac#groundC defines oneEs -lace in an intricate we( of relationshi-s. !he Ja-anese &iew of nature. !he seasons and their relationshi- to the e&ents in the story show the de-th of the changing seasons as a %eta-hor in Ja-anese literature. !he co%-le@ way in which the natural (ac#ground -er%eates the narrati&e in&ites students to go (eyond a stereoty-ed &iew of the %eaning of the seasons. !he role of -oetry in Heian Ja-an. "oe%s ser&ed a range of functionsD to re&eal the inner nature of the characterA to de%onstrate ideals of fe%ininity and %asculinityA to co%%ent on the %ain narrati&e of the story. How *uddhis% and nati&e Shinto (eliefs were wo&en into the fa(ric of e&eryday life of the no(ility. B)eligiousC ideas were not se-arate fro% e&eryday life. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his wor# can (e effecti&ely used in social studies, art and literature classes. !he co%-lete wor# contains a &ast nu%(er of characters and continues well -ast the ti%e of en?iEs death, (ut the first few cha-ters can (e used as an introduction to the Ja-anese court of a thousand years ago. A -articular strength of the wor# is the -ower of the characteri>ations. en?iEs lo&ers e%erge as co%-lete, if styli>ed wo%en, indi&idual in their res-onse to the constricting society in which they li&e. !he author created wo%en who suffer -ain and rage in their li%ited roles. Students can 73

write a first4-erson narrati&e for any of en?iEs %any lo&ers to re&eal a -ersonal -oint of &iew of the BShining "rinceC and his dalliances. Students can also e@-lore the relationshi- (etween -oetry and narrati&e. !he characters in the Tale re&eal the%sel&es through -oetic allusions that s-ea# of shared cultural e@-eriences. How would students wea&e together -oetry and fictional narrati&eJ !he Seidenstic#er translation is illustrated with (lac#4and4white woodcuts fro% a 72th4century edition that -ro&ide styli>ed faces and -ers-ecti&es fa%iliar fro% %any editions of en?i. Students %ight do a range of &isual assign%ents fro% the Tale, fro% researching other illustrations, to creating their own. !he students can e@-lore two Noh dra%as, Aoi and Nonomiya, that are (ased on cha-ters of the Tale of (en.i. /ibliography) &here are several translations o' *he *ale of 3en8i! Murasa#i, Shi#i(u. The Tale of (en.i. !ranslated and a(ridged (y Edward . Seidenstic#er. New :or#D )ando% House, 782<. 0<3 --. !he Seidenstic#er a(ridged &ersion of his translation contains twel&e of the fifty4four e@tant cha-ters. !he &olu%e %ay (e the %ost accesi(le for the use in the classroo%. Murasa#i, Shi#i(u. The Tale of (en.i. !ranslated Edward . Seidenstic#er. !he una(ridged &ersion contains all e@tant cha-ters. Murasa#i, Shi#i(u. The Tale of (en.i. $n (en.i and +eike) 1elections from The Tale of (en.i and The Tale of +eike, translated (y Helen Craig McCullough, --. 04292. StanfordD Stanford Fni&ersity "ress, 7889. Another e@cellent translation that co%(ines selections of these two i%-ortant wor#s, The Tale of (en.i and Tales of the +eike. 0ommentary and related wor(s) Morris, $&an. The 4orld of the 1hining 'rince) Court #ife in Ancient ,apan. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational. !his is an e@cellent study of court life in ancient Ja-an. )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 0<493. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. Seidenstic#er, Edward . and Haruo Shirane. B!he !ale of en?i.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 0834930. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) The Tale of (en.i 1ani%ated60 Sugii, 78=2. Classical ,apan and the Tale of (en.i. "roduced for the Cor-oration for "u(lic *roadcasting and distri(uted (y the Annen(ergHC"* Multi%eida Collection, 95 %inutes, 788<. 'our Colu%(ia Fni&ersity -rofessors gi&e the historical and cultural (ac#ground to (en.i as well as discuss the significance of the tale to later literary traditions. A &ery infor%ati&e, %ini graduate4le&el lecture on this &ery i%-ortant wor#. !he !ale of en?i. ,istri(uted (y 'il%s for the Hu%anities, <3 %inutes, 7880. !his &ideo e@a%ines the 724century scroll that is the oldest e@tant te@t of the tale. E@cer-ts of this lengthy -resentation can (e hel-ful in the literature classroo%. 77

)e ieval an *okugawa Perio s !%%&'$%&+&(

72

/n /ccount of )y Hut (*.*. by 9amo no 0homei (**%:$*.*4

&ype o' wor() essay Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) "$1 +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) An essay written (y Ka%o no Cho%ei 177504727<6, who renounced the world and (eca%e a *uddhist %on# during the ti%e of great disasters 1fire, whirlwinds, fa%ine and earthIua#e6 that (efell Ja-an in the late 72th century. $n the first -art of the essay, Cho%ei recounts the endless suffering found in the world. $n the second -art, he gi&es his readers a *uddhist guide to the renunciation of attach%ents and his search for tranIuility in his %ountain hut. Suggestions 'or the classroom) How does Cho%ei &iew other %enJ .hat do your students thin# a(out Cho%eiEs &iews on his fellow %enJ ,oes this essay -resent uni&ersal ideas or is it s-ecific to Ja-anJ An Account of y +ut can (e used with The Tale of the +eike to gi&e students an understanding of the -olitical and %ilitary situation of the ti%e which resulted in the shifting of -ower fro% the i%-erial court syste% to the esta(lish%ent of the shogunate. Students can e@a%ine the *uddhist ideal of the renunciation of worldly attach%ents and whether they (elie&e that Cho%ei is free of attach%ents, gi&en his affection for his little hut. !he solace found in nature is also another %a?or the%e of the wor#, connecting it with the wor# and life of !horeau. Although a tale fro% 72th4century Ja-an, An Account of y +ut is a--lica(le to other ti%es and -laces. $n %any cultures, natural disasters are seen as the forerunners of -olitical change. $n the Chinese dynastic cycle, nature itself signals a change in the Mandate of Hea&en. Augustine recounts the tragedies, (oth hu%an and natural, that (efell )o%e in The City of (od. Contrasts can (e %ade (etween the decline of )o%e and the decline of the $%-erial Court. /ibliography) Ka%o no Cho%ei. An Account of y +ut. $n Anthology of ,apanese #iterature, edited (y ,onald Keene, --. 7824272. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 7855. 0ommentary) Anderer, "aul. BAn Account of My Hut.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 9234922. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 5945<. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==.

70

*he *ale of the Heike (ca! *.%#

&ype o' wor() epic narrative Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) :$*# with most reviewers giving it "$*# +rade Level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) The Tale of the +eike is a warrior e-ic of the historic (attles (etween the en?i 1Mina%oto clan6 and the Hei#e 1!aira clan6 (etween 77<8 and 77=5. !he Tale follows the rise of the Hei#e, their arrogance and a(use of -ower, and their destruction at the hands of the en?i. Students who are interested in the transition to and the rise of the warrior class in Ja-anese history will find this a content4rich wor#. &hemes) *uddhist #ar%a and re(irth in the story in BLady NiiC and the infant e%-eror in B!he 'ight at ,an no FraCA *uddhist and Shinto in the e&eryday li&es of the -eo-le of the -eriodA the %eaning of leadershi- using the e@a%-les of Kiyo%ori, Shige%ori and Mune%oriA conflict (etween duty 1giri6 and -ersonal feelings 1nin.o6. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Sections of The Tale of the +eike can (e used in any literature or social studies course to highlight the social structure and (eliefs of the -eriod. ,escri-tions of the role of religion are es-ecially detailed regarding the de&otion to the A%ida *uddha, the (elief in #ar%a, the role of the %on#, the renunciation of worldly concerns and the ho-e of re(irth in the *uddhist "ure land. !he cast of characters is i%%ense and can (e confusing, (ut students %ay en?oy analy>ing a few of the -ersonalities and role4-laying. !here are %any %e%ora(le characters44the %ost -ro%inent is Kiyo%ori, the des-otic leader of the !aira Clan, whose &ices are res-onsi(le for the clanEs downfall. Co%-are The Tale of the +eike with warrior tales in other cultures. The Tale of the +eike has (een an unending source of ins-iration for wor#s of &isual art, -oetry and dra%a. !he story of Atsu%ori has (een dra%ati>ed in the -u--et theater 1(unra#u6, #a(u#i and noh dra%a, and has also (een the su(?ect of innu%era(le wor#s of art. !his one (rief story can lead to &ery -roducti&e colla(oration for art, literature and social studies classes. !he Metro-olitan Museu% of Art often has a Hei#e4related art in the Ja-an allery. Call ahead to find out what is on e@hi(ition. !hree noh dra%as, Atsumori0 Tadanori and Yashima, are drawn fro% the Tale of the +eike. !his %ay (e a good assign%ent for a research -a-er. /ibliography) Ka%o no Cho%ei. An Account of y +ut. $n Anthology of ,apanese #iterature, edited (y ,onald Keene, --. 7824272. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 7855. Murasa#i, Shi#i(u. The Tale of +eike. $n (en.i and +eike) 1elections from The Tale of (en.i 79

and The Tale of +eike, translated (y Helen Craig McCullough, --. 295495=. StanfordD Stanford Fni&ersity "ress, 7889. 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 584<2. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) (ate of +ell, !einosu#e Kinugasa, 7850, =< %ins. New Tales of the Taira Clan, Ken?i Mi>oguchi, 7855, 73= %ins.

75

-ssays in 9 leness (ca! *:2# by ;oshida 9en(o (*.1:$*:%#

&ype o' wor() essay Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) "$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !his (oo# is a collection of 290 e-isodes written (y Ken#o, a 79th4century *uddhist %on#. !he author writes in the 3uihitsu 1follow4the4(rush style6 that e%-loys the loose and unstructured strea%4of4consciousness %ethod. Ken#o considers a &ariety of to-ics, fro% the (eauty of nature to what constitutes a Btrue gentle%an,C freely writing his i%-ressions of the world as seen fro% a *uddhist -oint of &iew. &hemes) !he the%es of the collection &ary fro% to-ic to to-ic44e@a%-les are Ken#oEs i%-ressions on *uddhis%, conduct of a gentle%an, !aois%, -olitics, celi(acy, Ja-anese aesthetics, i%-er%anence, &anity of worldly -ossessions and achie&e%ents, traditions, fondness of the irregular and inco%-lete, and the di&inity of the e%-eror. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Since each entry is short, teachers can select sections %ost rele&ant to their o(?ecti&es. E@a%ining the structure of the (oo# and creating their own e@a%-le of 3uihitsu is interesting. Fsing so%e essays, the teacher can -ortray the use of suggestion, si%-licity and i%-er%anence in Ja-anese aesthetics, there(y showing contrast to the .estern -resentation of art. After a(sor(ing the conce-t, students %ay gain a greater a--reciation of the use of e%-ty s-ace and the use of (rush stro#es to suggest an o(?ect in (oth Ja-anese and Chinese art. As# students to identify and discuss Ken#oEs contradictory o-inions and what this contradiction %eans. !his (oo# will (e an ideal te@t to acco%-any, or include in, a course on Ja-anese history, literature and religion. !his is a good wor# to co%-are to Sei ShonagonEs 'illow -ook. /ibliography) :oshida, Ken#o. Essays in /dleness. !ranslated (y ,onald Keene. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 78<2! Related wor(s) Ca-ellanus, Andreas. The 2ules of Courtly #o$e. $n The 'ortable edie$al 2eader, edited (y Ja%es *ruce )oss and Mary Martin McLaughlin. New :or#D "enguin *oo#s, 7898. Kai(ara, E##en. 'recepts for Children. $n 1ources of ,apanese Tradition0 $ol. 9., co%-iled (y )yusa#u !sunoda, .%. !heodore de *ary, and ,onald Keene, --. 0<240<=. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 785=. !o#ugawa, $eyasu. #aws (o$erning ilitary +ouseholds. $n 1ources of ,apanese Tradition0 7<

$ol 9.0 co%-iled (y )yusa#u !sunoda, .%. !heodore de *ary, and ,onald Keene, --. 02<4 028. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 785=. 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 5<458. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==.

72

*ie to a Pole !7oshi6ari(, *he 5elicious Poison !7usu( and Hi ing the 7a ger !2akushi$5anuki( (ca! *:%#
&ype o' wor() drama Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 1$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th (especially ,th Summary) !hese three -lays are so%e of the %ost fa%ous wor#s in the re-ertoire of #yogen, Ja-anEs <334 year4old co%ic theater tradition. "erfor%ed as interlude -ieces (etween the longer and %ore ethereal noh -lays, #yogen (rings e%otional release and offers dra%atic contrast. Most #yogen -lays are short and si%-le, characteri>ed (y accessi(le hu%or and a%using de-iction of the foi(les of hu%an nature. $n Tied To A 'ole, a %aster ties u- his two ser&ants (ecause he wants to #ee- the ser&ants fro% drin#ing his sake while away fro% the house for the day. E&en though one of the ser&ants is literally Btied to a -oleC he figures out how to get to the sake. !he %aster returns to find his ser&ants drun#, and they are so into@icated that they do not reali>e that the %aster is listening to their nasty re%ar#s. $n The *elicious 'oison, a %aster orders his two ser&ants to guard a (arrel which, he says, contains deadly -oison. Curiosity o&erta#es o(edience and the ser&ants taste the B-oison,C only to find that it is actually sugar. !hey -roceed to eat to the (otto% of the (arrel, (ut fearing their %aster will (eco%e angry, the crafty -air in&ents an ela(orate story that in&ol&es destroying the %asterEs other &alua(le -ossessions, leading to an e&en %ore -re-osterous situation. $n +iding The -adger, the (attle of wits (etween %aster and ser&ant continues. A %aster sus-ects his ser&ant of -oaching (adgers and gets hi% drun# in order to find out the truth. Much of the hu%or of this story ta#es -lace through %o&e%ent. &hemes) Co%ic stereoty-es of the stingy %aster and the cle&er ser&ants. !he uni&ersality of hu%or44how and why is this story hu%orousJ Suggestions 'or the classroom) Co%-are the -lay with -resent4day tele&ision sitco% shows and cartoons. Co%-arisons can (e %ade with Chaucer. "oints of discussion %ay include how the #yogen theater creates laughter (y %oc#ing the wea#nesses of hu%an nature and social relationshi-s. Students can stage the -lay the%sel&es or create their own co%edy using the techniIue of co%ic re&ersal in which the ser&ant character outwits the authority.

7=

/ibliography) Kenny, ,on, co%-. The &yogen -ook) An Anthology of ,apanese Classical Comedies. !o#yoD !he Ja-an !i%es, 78=8. The &yogen -ook, unfortunately out4of4-rint, contains all three of the -lays and %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society. *ra>ell, Karen, ed. Traditional ,apanese Theater) An Anthology of 'lays. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. !his anthology contains -lays and co%%entaries on wor#s of noh, #yogen, (unra#u and #a(u#i. The *elicious 'oison is included. Related wor(s and 8ideo) /rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6. ,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an Society, 7882. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 233 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo -ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !he (oo# and &ideo %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society

78

/tsumori (*%th 0 by <eami 6oto(iyo (*:4:$*22:

&ype o' wor() drama Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$, +rade level) **th- *.th Summary) $n the -lay Atsumori, a warrior4turned4%on# recalls his -ast life as a warrior who renounced his status after slaying Atsu%ori, a (ra&e youth of the !aira fa%ilyof his own sonEs age, during warfare (etween the !aira and the Mina%oto clans. Noh dra%a e&ol&ed in the early 79th century fro% earlier -o-ular for%s of theater and religious cere%onies. $t is a dee-ly serious theater for% that (eca%e closely identified with Ja-anEs ancient warrior class. !his is one of the a--ro@i%ately 293 -lays co%-rising the noh theater re-ertoire. !he for%al language and a(undant footnotes %ay -ose a challenge, (ut the the%es of the -lay are uni&ersal and are handled in a -oignant way that should (e easy for students to understand. &hemes) )e%orse, forgi&eness and reconciliationA the &alues and %eaning of *uddhis% that -er%eated the warrior consciousness. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his is a &ery good -iece that ties together the curricula of literature and social studies. !he -lay can (e used effecti&ely in a social studies classroo% when read in con?unction with its source as told in The Tale of the +eike, acting (oth as (ac#ground and as a foil for the noh &ersion of the story. $n a dra%a class, this -lay can (e read along side such wor#s as Agamemnon, The Odyssey, Oedipus at Collonus or The /nferno. !he use of %as#s and a BchorusC in noh could also (e co%-ared with .estern theater for%s. /ibliography) *ra>ell, Karen, ed. Traditional ,apanese Theater) An Anthology of 'lays. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. !his anthology contains -lays and co%%entaries on wor#s of noh, #yogen, (unra#u and #a(u#i. Atsumori is included, --. 72<4792. ;ea%i, Moto#iyo. Atsumori. $n Anthology of ,apanese #iterature, edited (y ,onald Keene, --. 2=<4280. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 7855. ;ea%i, Moto#iyo. Atsumori. $n ,apanese No *ramas, edited and translated (y )oyall !yler, --. 0249=. LondonD "enguin *oo#s, 7882.

23

Related wor(s and video) Hare, !ho%as *len%an. B!hree "lays of the Noh !heater.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 537457<. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. Keene, ,onald, ed. Twenty 'lays of No Theatre. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 7823. /rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6. ,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an Society, 7882. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 233 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo -ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !his 24hour &ideo can con&eniently (e &iewed in -arts. !he (oo# and &ideo %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society. Traditional 'erforming Arts of ,apan) The +eart of &abuki0 Noh and -unraku. Ni--on Steel Cor-oration +idoe JH+, 78=2. !his 0=4%inute &ideo is an e@cellent introduction to three of the traditional for%s of Ja-anese theater. ood for the classroo%.

27

Sumi agawa !Sumi a :iver( (*%th 0 by <eami 6oto(iyo (c! *2##$*2:.

&ype o' wor() drama Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) A wo%an fro% the ca-ital wanders the country searching for her 724year4old son who was #idna--ed (y thie&es trading in children. She crosses the Su%ida )i&er, far fro% her ho%e in the eastern -art of the country, only to disco&er that her son has died (y the ri&er(an# the -re&ious year. Noh dra%a e&ol&ed in the early 79th century fro% earlier -o-ular for%s of theater and religious cere%onies. $t is a dee-ly serious theater for% that (eca%e closely identified with the sa%urai Ja-anEs ancient warrior class. 1umidagawa is one of the a--ro@i%ately 293 -lays co%-rising the noh theater re-ertoire. &hemes) !he tragic loss of a lo&ed oneA a %otherEs grief at the death of a childA %adness (rought on (y grief. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !he author, Moto%asa, %ade a (road allusion to E-isode 8 in the classical wor#, Tales of /se 173th century6. !his e-isode deals with a fa%ous courtier crossing the Su%ida )i&er who o(ser&ed the sa%e (irds that the grief4stric#en %other saw while la%enting the loss of her child. Fnderstanding the connection (etween these two wor#s is not necessary for students, (ut gi&es the -resent4day reader so%e idea of the literary at%os-here in which the author fra%ed his story of loss and grief. *en?a%in *ritten (ased his o-era, Curlew 2i$er, on 1umidagawa. Literature and dra%a students can e@a%ine (oth of these wor#s. /ibliography) ;ea%i, Moto%asa. 1umidagawa. $n ,apanese No *ramas, edited and translated (y )oyall !yler, --. 25742<0. LondonD "enguin *oo#s, 7882. Other wor(s o' =oh theater and videos) *ra>ell, Karen, ed. Traditional ,apanese Theater) An Anthology of 'lays. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. !his anthology contains -lays and co%%entaries on wor#s of noh, #yogen, (unra#u and #a(u#i. Hare, !ho%as *len%an. B!hree "lays of the Noh !heater.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 537457<. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. Keene, ,onald, ed. Twenty 'lays of No Theatre. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 7823. /rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6. ,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an Society, 7882. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 233 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo 22

-ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !his 24hour &ideo can con&eniently (e &iewed in -arts. !he (oo# and &ideo %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society. Traditional 'erforming Arts of ,apan) The +eart of &abuki0 Noh and -unraku. Ni--on Steel Cor-oration +ideo JH+, 78=2. !his 0=4%inute &ideo is an e@cellent introduction to three of the traditional for%s of Ja-anese theater. ood for the classroo%.

20

Narrow :oa to the 9nterior (*41, by 6atsuo /asho (*422$*4,2

&ype o' wor() diary5travelogue Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) %$" +rade Level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) Narrow 2oad to the /nterior is the tra&el diary of Matsuo *asho. $n the s-ring of 7<=8, *asho and his disci-le Sora left Edo 1-resent day !o#yo6 for a fi&e4%onth, 7,2004%ile tre# to the northern and interior areas of Honshu, the %ain island of Ja-an, during which they &isited -laces of natural (eauty and -laces of significance in history. !his tra&el diary written in a %i@ture of -rose and hai#u. NoteD Oku no +osomichi is the Ja-anese na%e of this wor#. $t has (een has (een &ariously translated asD -ack 2oads to Far Towns0 Narrow 2oad to a Far 'ro$ince0 and Narrow 2oad to the Far North0 a%ong others. &heme) 'inding truth in nature. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !he (oo# can (e read in its entirety. (ut %any of the s#etches can stand on their own. Assign B.eather4e@-osed S#eletonC for students to e@-lore the Iuestion of self4scrutiny in the search for identity in nature. !he life of *asho can (e as interesting for students as his -oetry44how does his wor# de%onstrate his life as a -oetJ .hy is The Narrow 2oad considered a great wor# of literatureJ .hat %a#es a wor# BgreatC and who decides whether a wor# is great or notJ Co%-are *asho and )al-h .aldo E%erson. /ibliography) Matsuo, *asho. Narrow 2oad to the /nterior. $n -asho!s Narrow 2oad) 1ummer and Autumn 'assages, with annotations and translated (y Hiroa#i Sato, --. 0=4755. *er#eleyD Stone *ridge "ress, 788<. Related wor(s and 0ommentary) Matsuo, *asho. BLearn 'ro% the "ine.C $n The Essential +aiku) 5ersions of -asho0 -uson and /ssa, edited (y )o(ert Hass, --. 200420=. New :or#D .... Norton, 7889. !his is *ashoEs co%%entary on the art and craft of writing -oetry. Students %ay find this wor# ins-iring and insightful into the world and thin#ing of *asho. )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. <8420. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. Shirane, Haruo. Traces of *reams) #andscape0 Cultural emory0 and the 'oetry of -asho. StanfordD Stanford Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. Shirane, Haruo. B!he "oetry of Matsuo *asho.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in 29

Comparati$e 'erspecti$e) A (uide for Teaching, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 02=40=8 Ar%on#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. !his is an e@cellent reference article for teachers and students that includes to-ics and Iuestions for student ho%ewor# and research assign%ents.

25

*he Love Suici es at Sone;aki (*"#: by 0hi(amatsu 6on>aemon (*4%:$*".2

&ype o' wor() drama Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) ,$*#! +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !his -lay (y Chi#a%atsu Mon>ae%on de-icts the tragic lo&e story of !o#u(ei, an honest young sho- assistant, and his lo&er, /hatsu. !heir lo&e is thwarted (y the -lans for an arranged %arriage for !o#u(ei which he does not want to follow. $n trying to (rea# free fro% this situation, !o#u(ei is (etrayed (y a %an he thought was his good friend, and is ruined financially. !he only honora(le o-tion for hi% is to co%%it suicide, an act in which /hatsu agrees to ?oin hi%. &hemes) Suicide is a last resort in issues of honor and ill4fated lo&e. Conce-ts of dealing with dishonor and disgrace can (e discussed. Students can discuss their own -erce-tions of suicide and definitions of true lo&e. !he roles of wo%en during the !o#ugawa "eriod 17<3347=<=6 can (e e@-lored. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his straightforward -lay can (e read out loud with &arious students ta#ing the selected -arts, including the narrator. Students can co%-ose their own wor# for the -u--et theater 1(unra#u6 or the #a(u#i, using Chi#a%atsuEs wor# as an e@a%-le. Students can also rewrite the ending or add a scene to the -lay. !he conce-t of ill4fated lo&e is -re&alent in Sha#es-eareEs 2omeo and ,uliet. A co%-arati&e essay can (e written addressing the wor#s of Sha#es-eare and Chi#a%atsu. /ibliography) Chi#a%atsu, Mon>ae%on. The #o$e 1uicides at 1one3aki. $n Four a.or 'lays of Chikamatsu, translated (y ,onald Keene, --. 0845<. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 78<7. Related wor(s and videos) Keene, ,onald. B!he Lo&e Suicides at Sone>a#i.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 5724525. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. /rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6. ,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an Society, 7882. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 233 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo -ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !his 24hour &ideo can con&eniently (e &iewed in -arts. !he (oo# and &ideo %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society. Traditional 'erforming Arts of ,apan) The +eart of &abuki0 Noh and -unraku. Ni--on Steel Cor-oration +ideo JH+, 78=2. !his 0=4%inute &ideo is an e@cellent introduction to three of the traditional for%s of Ja-anese theater. ood for the classroo%. 2<

Chushingura: *he *reasury of Loyal :etainers (*"21 by &a(eda ?>umo6iyoshi Shora(u and =ami(i Senryu
&ype o' wor() drama Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) .$*# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !his -lay, written in 729=, is (ased on a series of true e&ents that too# -lace (etween 7237 and 7230. 'irst created as a -u--et -lay, the story was e@-anded to (eco%e a co%-le@ #a(u#i dra%a and has offered Ja-anese audiences as the (asis of countless %odern ada-tations in theater, %o&ies and tele&ision. !he story centers on a grou- of 92 %asterless sa%urai 1ronin6 whose lord was un?ustly forced to co%%it suicide after (eing goaded into an altercation with a senior sa%urai official, an act that was &iewed as a gra&e offense. !he 92 sa%urai s-ent two years -lotting to a&enge the death of their lord, which they do (y #illing the official res-onsi(le for their lordEs death. *y this act the sa%urai u-held their ideals of loyalty (ut they were sentenced to death (y the !o#ugawa shogunate. &hemes) !he unconditional loyalty of the sa%uraiA ?ustice and re&engeA integrity of character. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his wor# can (e used in social studies classes when studying the !o#ugawa -eriod. !he wor# is challenging, e&en to so-histicated high school readers, (ut can (e used effecti&ely if the students are well -re-ared. Fse as -art of an assign%ent for a research -a-er on !o#ugawa society infor%ed (y Confucian ideals of loyalty. /ibliography5'ilmography) Keene, ,onald, trans. Chushingura) The Treasury of #oyal 2etainers0 A 'uppet 'lay. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 7827. Ken?i Mi>oguchi. :; 2onin, 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature. --. 224=3. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) :; 2onin, Ken?i Mi>oguch., !his is a 7892 fil% a&aila(le as a two4-art &ideo, 278 %inutes. Chushingura "The #oyal :; 2etainers%, Hiroshi $naga#i, 78<2, 232 %inutes.

22

Journal of )y <ather1s Last 5ays (*1#* and / 4ear of )y Life (*1*, by 9obayashi ?ssa (*"4:$*1."
&ype o' wor() diary5narrative5poetry Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) *# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) Ko(ayashi $ssa, together with Matsuo *asho 17<9947<896 and :osa *uson 1727<472=06, is regarded as one of the great hai#u %asters in Ja-anese literary history. A Year of y #ife, $ssaEs %a?or -rose wor#, was written after the deaths of three of his children. ,ournal of y Father!s #ast *ays is $ssaEs record of the %onth he s-ent nursing his dying father and the (itter struggles he had with his ste-%other at the ti%e. 'ear, disa--oint%ents, unti%ely deaths and a difficult life te%-er $ssaEs hai#u. 'or all their sadness, $ssaEs -oetry and -rose can (e easily co%-rehended and a--reciated (y high school students. &hemes) Strong and %ysterious -owers of natureA death and transfor%ationA life of ani%als. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Co%-are the life and wor# of $ssa and *asho. Co%-are the wor#s of $ssa and Machi !awaraEs 1alad Anni$ersary 178=26. $ssa %ay (e co%-ared to "a(lo Neruda and .alt .hit%an. /ibliography) Ko(ayashi, $ssa. ,ournal of y Father!s #ast *ays and A Year of y #ife, translated (y )o(ert N. Huey. $n The Essential +aiku) 5ersions of -asho0 -uson and /ssa, edited (y )o(ert Hass, 7824228. Ho-ewellD !he Ecco "ress, 7889. Ko(ayashi, $ssa. The Year of y #ife, translated (y No(uyu#i :uasa. *er#eleyD Fni&ersity of California "ress, 7822. 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. =<4=8. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==.

2=

Late %,th an -arly .#th Centuries

28

Chil 1s Play (*1,%$,4 by @iguchi ?chiyo (*1".$*1,4

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) %$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.thA especially **th and *.th Summary) Set in the -leasure Iuarters of the late Mei?i era, this short story focuses on neigh(orhood adolescents who e@-erience the (eginning of adulthood. A gang of (oys and one girl, once close4 #nit -lay%ates, drift a-art as they face the ine&ita(ilities of growing u-. !wo characters in the story, No(u, a (oy following the -ath to -riesthood, and Midori, a girl who will e&entually (eco%e a -rostitute in the licensed (rothel Iuarters, hold %utual affection for one another (ut sadly reali>e that their -aths will ne&er cross as they are a(out to shoulder lifeEs res-onsi(ilities. &hemes) Adolescence and the co%ing of age 1the reasons (ehind the se-aration of Midori and No(u6A social structure and the role of the fa%ilyA the e@-ectations de%anded (y -arents and society, confor%ity, and re(ellionA setting44the characteristics of the (rothel Iuarter and street life during the late Mei?i era. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his story can (e used to aug%ent a Social Studies curriculu% in which the teacher discusses Ja-anese society during the turn of the century. /ibliography) Higuchi, $chiyo. Child!s 'lay. $n /n the 1hade of 1pring #ea$es, translated (y )o(ert Lyons ,anly, --. 25942=2. New :or#D .... Norton Co%-any, 78=7. 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 73=4777. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==.

03

7otchan (*,#4 by =atsume Sose(i (*14"$*,*4

&ype o' wor() novel Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) 4$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.thA especially ,th and *#th Summary) .ritten and set during the turn of the century, the no&el is a(out a young %an fro% !o#yo nic#4 na%ed *otchan, or Byoung %aster,C who %o&es to a re%ote fishing &illage to ta#e u- a teaching ?o(. Alienated fro% his fa%ily, he lea&es (ehind his (elo&ed, aged ser&ant. At the &illage, the (rash (ut honest *otchan finds his students and colleagues dull, hy-ocritical and selfish. Fsing a uni&ersal sense of hu%or, these a%using characters are -ortrayed with war%th and affection. &hemes) Character i%age44the la>y and defiant *otchan in co%-arison to the stereoty-e of Ja-anese -eo-le as -olite and industriousA hy-ocrisy and crueltyA %ood and social at%os-here in Ja-an during the early 23th century44what as-ects of the no&el re&eal the efforts of the Ja-anese to incor-orate .estern ideas and things into their li&esJA teacherHstudent relationshi-s. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Co%-are *otchan with other characters fro% .estern writing, such as Huc# 'inn and !o% Sawyer fro% The Ad$entures of +uckleberry Finn and The Ad$entures of Tom 1awyer, as well as Holden Caulfield fro% Catcher in the 2ye. $f the wor# is too long, cha-ter 7, which deals with *otchanEs youth, could stand alone as a character s#etch. /ibliography) Natsu%e, Sose#i. -otchan. !ranslated (y Alan !urney. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 7822.

07

*he :a;or (*,*# by Shiga =aoya (*11:$*,"*

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 1$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.thA especially **th and *.th Summary) Master (ar(er :oshisa(uro is #nown to all of his custo%ers as the finest (ar(er around. Suddenly he falls ill, lea&ing his sho- and his e@-ert re-utation to two ine@-erienced assistants. .hen an order arri&es for a shar-ened ra>or fro% a wealthy custo%er who is a(out to ta#e a tri-, !oshisa(uro feels co%-elled to shar-en the ra>or hi%self, e&en though he is Iuite sic#. !hen suddenly a young %an enters the sho- for a Iuic# sha&e and the situation (eco%es a reci-e for disaster. &hemes) ,o a character study of :oshisa(uro, whose -ersonality deter%ines the action of the storyA the -ositi&e and negati&e as-ects of -erfectionis%A the -sychology of re-ressed rage and &iolence. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !he construction of this story lends itself to discussions of the use of foreshadowing, dra%atic tension, %ood and the at%os-here of the setting. How and when does the story reach its cli%a@J /ibliography) Shiga, Naoya. The 2a3or. $n The 'aper *oor and Other 1tories, translated (y Lane ,unlo-, --. 7<425. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 7882.

02

:ashomon an =ther Stories (*,*% by A(utagawa Ryunosu(e (*1,.$*,."

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 1$, +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) 2ashomon and Other 1tories contain si@ (rief and highly reada(le stories. B$n a ro&eC -resents a cri%e fro% fi&e -ers-ecti&es. B)asho%onC is an eerie tale of a des-erate old wo%an sur&i&ing (y -ilfering the hair of cor-ses. B:a% ruelC has a -athetic central character whose single a%(ition is to eat his fill of ya% gruel. B!he MartyrC tells a tale of &irtue and renunciation. BKesa and MoritaC deals with Iuestions of -erce-tion, infatuation and lo&e. B!he ,ragonC Iuestions the relia(ility of %e%ory. &hemes) "erce-tions of realty and illusionA intent, %eaning and -erce-tion. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his wor# can (e used in literature, -sychology and social studies classes, as A#utagawa lea&es the reader to struggle to understand the %oti&ations of the characters. Students can use the authorEs &arious writing styles as %odels for their stories. /ibliography and 'ilmography) A#utagawa, )yunosu#e. 2ashomon and Other 1tories. !ranslated (y !a#ashi Ko?i%a. New :or#D Li&eright "u(lishing, 7823. !he re%ar#a(le 7853 fil% (y A#ira Kurosawa, 2ashomon, co%(ines ele%ents fro% two of A#utagawaEs stories, B$n A ro&eC and B)asho%on.C 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature0 --. 7924799. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) 2ashomon, A#ira Kurosawa, 7857, =8 %ins.

00

*he Shop6oy1s 3o (*,*, by Shiga =aoya (*11:$*,"*

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) %$1 +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.thA especially **th Summary) Sen#ichi, an a--rentice at a sho- selling scales, is drawn to the e@-ensi&e sushi sho- after o&erhearing store cler#s -raise the restaurant. *ut finding hi%self too -oor to afford sushi, Sen#ichi (eat a sha%eful retreat fro% the sho-. .itnessing the (oyEs disa--oint%ent, Awano, a %e%(er of the House of "eers, treats the (oy to his desire. .hile Sen#ichi is de&ouring the sushi, Awano sli-s away, lea&ing (ehind the (oy, who is later con&inced that Awano %ust (e the fo@ god. &hemes) Ja-anese religionA the %eaning of social status. Suggestions 'or the classroom) ,iscuss what Awano and Sen#ichi could ha&e in co%%on. ,iscuss why ha&ing Awano a--ear to (e the fo@ god is a consolation to Sen#ichi. Ha&e the students suggest other endings to the story. .hy did the author choose this endingJ /ibliography) Shiga, Naoya. The 1hopboy!s (od. $n The 'aper *oor and Other 1tories, translated (y Lane ,unlo-, --. 83488. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 7882.

09

*he 9;u 5ancer (*,." by 9awabata ;asunari (*1,,$*,".

&ype o' wor() novel Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) 4$" +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th- especially **th and *.th Summary) $n the early 23th century, a 784year4old (oy %eets a grou- of itinerant -erfor%ers while tra&elling through the $>u "eninsula. He ?oins the% in their ?ourney and de&elo-s an affection for one of the younger fe%ale dancers. Mutual lo&e does not trans-ire, and the youth returns to !o#yo. His tears are testi%ony of the fondness he feels for those he encounters during this (rief ?ourney. &hemes) Adolescence and first lo&eA relationshi-s and (eha&ior44for%al and infor%al (eha&iorA Ja-anese aesthetics as seen through the language and %ood of the storyA life in early 23th4century Ja-an, es-ecially the social -osition and treat%ent of entertainers. Suggestions 'or classroom activity) E@-lore the ways in which the author sets the %elancholic %ood of the story, using geogra-hy and cli%ate. ,iscuss the authorEs delicate and -oetic use of language. /ibliography) Kawa(ata, :asunari. The /3u *ancer. $n The /3u *ancer and Other 1tories. !ranslated (y Edward Seidenstic#er, --. 840=. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 7829. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) The /3u *ancer 1ani%ated6, !a#asu#a, 78=<.

05

Late .#th Century

0<

*he Sea an Poison (*,%1 by Endo Shusa(u (*,.:$*,,4

&ype o' wor() novel On a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) *# +rade level) *#th- **th- *.th Summary) .hile wor#ing in a %ilitary hos-ital during .orld .ar $$, a young %edical intern na%ed Suguro is haunted (y his in&ol&e%ent in e@-eri%ental surgery conducted on A%erican "/.s. Suguro witnesses ri&alry (etween doctors i%-eding care for -atients as well as the co&er4u- of fatal %al-ractice. Confused, distraught and frustrated, Suguro finds hi%self resigned to circu%stance and una(le to esca-e the situation. !his dar# no&el scrutini>es hu%an wea#nesses and ruthlessness. &hemes) $ssues of %orality and ethics fro% %edical, %ilitary, and warti%e -oints of &iewA the dehu%ani>ing and desensiti>ing of -eo-leA %a#ing a decision as an act of %oralityA a%(ition &s. %orality. Suggestions 'or classroom activity) Character analysis of the #ey characters such as Suguro, !oda, Bthe old ladyC and Hilda. ,iscuss what the students would do under the sa%e conditions in which the characters find the%sel&es. /ibliography) Endo, Shusa#u. The 1ea and 'oison. !ranslated (y Michael allagher. New :or#D New ,irections *oo#, 7882.

02

*he Woman in the 5unes (*,4. by Abe 9obo (b! *,.2

&ype o' wor() novel On a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 2$*# +rade level) *.th- advanced students Summary) An a%ateur ento%ologist on an e@-edition in a re%ote &illage is %isled (y locals and, against his will, (eco%es the hel-%ateH-risonerHco%-anion of a wo%an whose life consists of sho&eling sand for the welfare of her co%%unity. !he %anEs res-onse -rogresses fro% dis(elief to anger to defiance, and finally, to resignation. !he wo%an44a Iuiet, enig%atic figure44is si%ultaneously su(%issi&e and %ani-ulati&eA (oth deferential and strong4willed. .hen gi&en a chance to esca-e, the %an chooses to stay in his -risonHho%e. &hemes) Mortality, the %eaning of wor#, freedo%, co%%it%ent, free will, -ower and enduranceA the indi&idual wants and needs &s. those of the co%%unityA the rights of the indi&idual to -ursue his or her own -athA indi&idual sacrifice. Suggestions 'or the classroom) $ssues of resistance, colla(oration and ada-tation can (e e@-lored through the no&el. !his (oo#, as well as Endo Shusa#uEs The 1ea and 'oison, can lead to good discussions of the issues facing -eo-le in such situations. !hough %uch of the BactionC of the no&el is interior, and the no&elEs se@ual content is fairly e@-licit, %ature students will find the no&el accessi(le, -ro&ocati&e and a source for serious discussion. E@-lore lin#s to .estern literature that students %ay (e fa%iliar withD the Sisy-hus %yth, the wor#s of Eugene $onesco and Sa%uel *ec#ett. /ibliography and 'ilmography) A(e, Ko(o. The 4oman in the *unes. !ranslated (y E. ,ale Saunders. New :or#D Alfred A. Kno-f, 78<9. Screening e@ce-ts fro% Hiroshi !eshigaharaEs 78<9 fil% ada-tation of the no&el can (e &ery hel-ful to the students to &isuali>e the setting of the story. 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature0 --. 72=47=3. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. !reat, John .hittier. B!he .o%an $n !he ,unes.C $n asterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e) A (uide for Teaching, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 9524 9<8. Ar%on#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) 4oman in the *unes, Hiroshi !eshigahara, 78<9, 720 %ins. 0=

7lack :ain (*,44 by ?buse 6asuBi (*1,1$*,,:

&ype o' wor() novel Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$*# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) Mr. Shige%atsu is searching for a suita(le hus(and for his (elo&ed niece, who was conta%inated (y the radiation of the B(lac# rainC that fell fro% the s#y after the Hiroshi%a (o%(ing. !he story changes settings as Mr. Shige%atsu reads his warti%e diaries. Sections of the nieceEs diaries also a--ear in the wor#. !hrough these diary entries the reader e@-eriences not only the terror of the (o%(ing (ut also how -eo-le continued to co-e and ad?ust under e@tre%e conditions. &hemes) !he antici-ation of death, death of lo&ed onesA sur&i&al under e@tre%e conditionsA fa%ily and social structure in the face of un-recedented u-hea&al during and after the warA continuation of traditional &alues in %arriage and fa%ily des-ite the warEs de&astation. Suggestions 'or the classroom) i&en the length and co%-le@ity of this wor#, the teacher %ust (e well -re-ared to discuss the %yriad of historical, cultural and social issues i%(edded in the story. !he no&el can lead to discussions on -hiloso-hy, religion, cultural &alues and historical e&ents. /ibliography and 'ilmography) $(use, Masu?i. -lack 2ain. !ranslated (y John *ester. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 78<8. Shohei $%a%uraEs e@cellent 78=8 fil% ada-tation, -lack 2ain, can (e effecti&ely used 1in sections6 to enhance studentsE understanding of this &ery %o&ing story. 0ommentary) )i%er, J. !ho%as. A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature0 --. 7574759. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78==. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) -lack 2ain, Shohei $%a%ura, 78==, 720 %ins.

08

Human /shes (*,44 by Oda 9atsu>o (b! *,:*

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 1$*# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) An adolescent (oy sur&i&es the ato%ic (o%(ing of Hiroshi%a. As he stu%(les out of the %unitions factory where he was wor#ing at the ti%e of the (o%(ing, he co%es face4to4face with the horrors of the de&astation. He doesnEt reali>e the cause of the tragedy until hours later. His thoughts turn fro% his astonish%ent at the &ast nu%(ers of -eo-le suffering around hi% to concerns for the fate of his own fa%ily %e%(ers. &hemes) !he effects of the dro--ing of the (o%( on Hiroshi%a and Nagasa#iA the %eaning of war in ter%s of indi&iduals. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !he use of the first -erson to tell this harrowing account of the war gi&es A%erican students the o--ortunity to -lace the%sel&es in a situation they %ay ne&er consider. !he tone, which e%-hasi>es the confusion and see%ingly a-athetic -ers-ecti&e of the (oy, could (e addressed, as well as the use of i%agery, such as fire, ashes and (lac# rain which co&ers the (odies of the &icti%s of the (o%(ing. !he gra-hic descri-tions of the (urned &icti%s are also -owerful tools for discussion. /ibliography) /da, Katsu>o. +uman Ashes. $n The Cra3y /ris and Other 1tories of the Atomic Aftermath, edited (y Ken>a(uro /e, --. <04=9. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 78=5. +iroshima 1789<6 (y John Hersey The Empty Can (y Kyo#o Hayashi, also included in The Cra3y /ris0 a collection of 77 short stories that %ar#ed the 93th anni&ersary of the ato%ic (o%(ings of Hiroshi%a and Nagasa#i. Related 7ilms and 8ideos) -arefoot (en, 7880,

93

South Win (*,"1 by &sushima ;u(o (b! *,2"

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) "$, +rade level) **th- *.th Summary) !he story centers on the annual corres-ondence (etween A#i#o, a young %other, and !oyo#ichi, an elderly %an who% A#i#o %et once while on a (rief holiday. At the ti%e of their initial encounter, A#i#o was %arried and the %other of a four4year4old daughter. :ears later, her life is drastically altered (y di&orce, estrange%ent fro% her daughter and e@4hus(and, an affair with a %arried %an and the (irth of a son. Struggling with the -hysical and -sychological difficulties of caring for a child alone, A#i#o is reluctant to share the uncertainty of her new life with this elderly chance acIuaintance. &hemes) !he relationshi-s (etween %en and wo%en and how these relationshi-s define wo%enEs roles in the conte%-orary worldA the %eaning and res-onsi(ility of -aternity and %aternity. Suggestions 'or the classroom) Short stories (y *anana :oshi%oto such as BLi>ardC and BHeli@C ha&e -arallels to BSouth .indC in ter%s of their insights into the relationshi-s (etween %en and wo%en. BSilent !radersC is another short story found in The 1hooting (allery. *oth stories e@a%ine the li&es of wo%en with conflicting de%ands and e%otions co%-licated (y single -arenthood, illicit affairs, loneliness and uncertainty. !he character of !oyo#ichi ta#es on %ythic -ro-ortions as the story -rogresses. .hat does he re-resent in A#i#oEs i%aginationJ Students %ay discuss wo%enEs continuous struggle for inde-endence and eIuality. $t %ight (e -articularly interesting to co%-are A#i#o to wo%en in earlier wor#s, such as The Tale of (en.i, The (ossamer Years and The #o$e 1uicides at Ami.ima. !hese wor#s %ay (e used in literature and social studies classes, as well as -sychology, health education and grou- guidance classes as they -ose cross4cultural Iuestions for todayEs young -eo-le. /ibliography) !sushi%a, :u#o. 1outh 4ind. $n The 1hooting (allery and Other 1tories, translated (y eraldine Harcourt, --. 22409. New :or#D New ,irections *oo#s, 7882.

97

*he Samurai (*,1# by Endo Shusa(u (*,.:$*,,4

&ype o' wor() novel Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) %$*# +rade levels) *#th- **th- *.th Summary) The 1amurai is a wor# of historical4fiction centering on )o#ue%on Hase#ura, a low4ran#ing %e%(er of a Ja-anese %ission sent a(road in the early 7<th century. A four4year so?ourn lets hi% e@-erience the cultures of Me@ico, S-ain and )o%e. !hese .estern cultures ser&e as %irrors in which to reflect the sa%urai warrior -hiloso-hy. !he a%(itious 'ranciscan %issionaryEs atte%-t to con&ert Ja-an into a Christian country ulti%ately fails and the -rotagonist returns to Ja-an disillusioned and s-iritually (ro#en. &hemes) !he connection (etween co%%ercialis% and religion during the age of e@-ansionA the Catholic ChurchEs atte%-ts to s-read Christianity to Ja-anA the -olitical, religious and econo%ic i%-act of the s-read of trade and religionA co%-arisons of Euro-ean and Ja-anese sensi(ilities. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his (oo# is an infor%ati&e and entertaining way to e@a%ine Ja-anese feudal society fro% a Ja-anese -oint of &iew, (ut reIuires concentration as well as interest in the ti%e -eriod. $n its entirety, the (oo# can (e assigned to older students who are interested in glo(al studies andHor religion as e@tra reading for credit or as -art of a research -a-er. /ibliography) Endo, Shusa#u. The 1amurai. !ranslated (y +an C. essel. New :or#D Har-er and )ow, 78=2.

92

)oonlight Sha ow (*,14 by ;oshimoto /anana (b! *,42

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) "$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) oonlight 1hadow is a &ery %o&ing short story a(out two grief4stric#en teen4agers44Satsu#i, a girl, and Hiragi, a (oy, whose res-ecti&e (oyfriend and girlfriend -erish together in an auto%o(ile accident. !he story centers on Satsu#i, whose (oyfriend was also HiragiEs (rother. Satsu#i is haunted (y her %e%ories of their relationshi-, and Frara, a %agical young wo%an, hel-s her reco&er fro% her loss. :oshi%oto is a -articularly reada(le writer who addresses significant the%es in an off4hand, a--roacha(le %anner. She is a writer who is accessi(le to the reluctant reader (ut rich enough in arresting i%ages and ideas for the ad&anced reader. &hemes) Lo&e and lossA growth, for%ing e%otional (onds and o&erco%ing o(staclesA o&erco%ing grief and de-ressionA the su-ernatural in e&eryday lifeA food is a &ery strong i%age in this storyA the transition :oshi%oto esta(lishes in her the%es (etween tradition and %odernity offers rich %aterial for discussionA Kurt +onnegutEs wor#, es-ecially 1irens of Titan and 1laughterhouse Fi$e, offer co%-arisons of %agical realis% /ibliography) :oshi%oto, *anana. oonlight 1hadow. $n &itchen, translated (y Megan *ac#us, --.7384752. New :or#D .ashington SIuare "ress, 78==.

90

2itchen (*,1" by /anana ;oshimoto (b! *,42

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (no suitable to *# (very suitable ) *# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !his -oignant story tells of a war% friendshi- (etween two young adults who co-e with the deaths of their lo&ed ones. !he -lot centers around Mi#age, a college girl, who %eets :uichi and his trans&estite %other, Eri#o, after the death of the grand%other who was her last re%aining relati&e. After (eing welco%ed into the ho%e of :uichi and Eri#o, Mi#age reco&er fro% her loss. 'ollowing Eri#oEs %urder, Mi#age hel-s :uichi, ?ust as he had hel-ed her, to reco&er fro% his own tragic loss. &hemes) Co-ing with deathA the friendshi- and inde-endence of young adults. Suggestions 'or the classroom) ,iscuss the significance of the #itchen in Mi#ageEs life. .hy is it a s-ecial -lace for herJ .rite a -ersonal essay on a significant -lace. /ibliography) :oshi%oto, *anana. &itchen. $n &itchen, translated (y Megan *ac#us, --. 04735. New :or#D .ashington SIuare "ress, 78==.

99

*he Honey <lower by Atoda &a(ashi (b! *,:%

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) *# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !he -rotagonist reflects on his (ittersweet childhood %e%ory of sur&i&ing .orld .ar $$, when he and his fa%ily esca-ed the air raids in !o#yo (y %o&ing to a rural &illage during the su%%er of 7899. !here, the ten4year old -rotagonist (efriends a girl na%ed Kei who (eco%es the o(?ect of his affection. Kei and the narrator -lay in KeiEs fa&orite honey flower garden, where they find (rief refuge fro% the war. !hen, air raids on the &illage (ring a(out KeiEs death. &hemes) Me%ory and recollection of childhoodA the sy%(olis% of the honey flower garden in contrast to the destruction of warA sur&i&al during the war44ways in which children tried to co-e in the %idst of warA the guilt of those who sur&i&e the warA e&anescent (eauty and reincarnation. /ibliography) Atoda, !a#ashi. The +oney Flower. $n The 1<uare 'ersimmon and Other 1tories, translated (y Millicent M. Horton, --. 7354723. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 7887.

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Sala /nniversary (*,1" by &awara 6achi (b! *,4.

&ype o' wor() poetry Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent ) *# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) A collection of %odern tan#a -oe%s written (y Machi !awara. !he author touches the%atically u-on all of the e%otions and concerns of -eo-le of all agesD insecurity, the -ursuit of ha--iness, the u-s and downs of lo&e affairs and loneliness. !he -oe%s are connected the%atically and are written in &ignettes that lure the reader into wanting to #now how so%e of these situations are resol&ed. !his is -oetry with uni&ersal a--eal. Suggestions 'or classroom activity) Co%-are the -oe%s with the wor#s of classical -oets in the early -oets, such as *asho and $ssa. an!yoshu and &okinshu, and other

Select a -oe% and elongate it through the use of the sa%e the%e and for%at. !each the structure of tan#a -oe%s. /ibliography) !awara, Machi. 1alad Anni$ersary. !ranslated (y Juliet .inters Car-enter. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 78=8. !his (oo# is a&aila(le in a (ilingual edition in the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society.

9<

*he 4ama a 5iary (*,11 by &a(eno 6asato (b! *,44

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) ,$*# +rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) !he story focuses on a high school (oy who i%-ulsi&ely -urchases a co%-uter ga%e software called B!he :a%ada ,iary.C He finds the ga%e to (e unusually si%ilar to his own life, and e&entually (eco%es o(sessed with the ga%e as he uses it to &ent his re-ressed frustration. &hemes) Co%-uter4age generationA the daily life of ur(an high school students in Ja-anA re(ellion against confor%ity and res-ect of authority in Ja-anA the relationshi- of son and %otherA the (rea#down of fa%ily lifeA the (lurring of BrealityC and B&irtual realityCA esca-ing fro% the routine of e&eryday life through fantasy. Suggestions 'or classroom activity) Ha&e students create a &ideo ga%e (ased on their own li&es or analy>e the content of any &ideo ga%e with which they are fa%iliar. E@a%ine Ja-anese co%ics 1manga6 and ani%ations 1anime6. ,iscuss the wor# in con?unction with stories (y a(riel arcia MarIue> and 'ran> Kaf#a. ,iscuss what the authorEs intention was in writing the story44is it a Bcautionary taleJC /ibliography) !a#eno, Masato. The Yamada *iary. $n onkey -rain 1ushi, edited (y Alfred *irn(au%, --. 2284039. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 7887.

92

*> People (*,1, by 6ura(ami @aru(i (b! *,2,

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 1$, +rade level) *#th- **th- *.th Summary) A young !o#yo (usiness%anEs a-art%ent is in&aded (y a grou- of s%all, silent creatures who disru-t the order created there (y the narratorEs %eticulous wife. !he creatures lea&e (ehind a !+ set. radually the !+ (egins to infiltrate the other as-ects of the narratorEs life and ulti%ately he (eco%es one of the !+ -eo-le. &hemes) !he significance of electronics in %odern societyA the -ersonality of the %ain characterA &alues and lifestyle of a young ur(an %arried cou-le. Suggestion 'or the classroom) Engage students in a discussion on the effect that tele&ision and %edia ha&e on -eo-leEs li&es. !he story can (e used in a sociology or health course as well as a literature course, as it as#s so%e of the sa%e Iuestions raised in Marie .innEs (oo#, The 'lug8/n *rug. )ead this story with BAn Account of My HutC (y Ka%o no Cho%ei. ,iscuss what one needs to (e connected with the world and what one can e@ist without. !he narrator %entions that his lac# of interest in %achines has %ade -eo-le Iuestion whether he was a Luddite. !he students could research Luddites and discuss whether there are reasons to resist the Bin&asionC of technology. Ha&e students e@-lore the way the author draws an i%age of the %undane ?u@ta-osed with the e@traordinaryHfantastical. /ibliography) Mura#a%i, Haru#i. T5 'eople. $n onkey -rain 1ushi, edited (y Alfred *irn(au%, --. 542=. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 7887.

9=

?ne@pecte )uteness by Oe 9en>aburo (b! *,:%

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) *# +rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th Summary) At the end of .orld .ar $$, A%erican soldiers arri&e at a Ja-anese &illage whose inha(itants are encountering the occu-ying ar%y for the first ti%e. .hile se&eral of the soldiers are swi%%ing, the shoes (elonging to their Ja-anese inter-reter disa--ear. Con&inced the shoes were stolen (y one of the &illagers, the inter-reter sets out to find the thief. !he situation escalates into a deadly confrontation with the &illagers. !he A%ericans de-art fro% the &illage and its silent inha(itants, lea&ing the unsol&ed tragedy (ehind the%. &hemes) !he %any different relationshi-s in this short story %a#e for worthwhile discussion, including the relationshi- (etween the &illagers the%sel&esA the inter-reter and the &illagersA the soldiers and the inter-reterA and relations (etween the soldiers and the &illagers with -articular attention to their rece-tion in the (eginning in contrasting with how the &illagers res-ond to their de-arture. Co%%unication is a %a?or the%e of the wor#44e@a%ine the ways all the characters interact, (oth &er(ally and non4&er(allyA the usage of different languages is also interesting to consider. Suggestions 'or the classroom) !his wor# is great for literature and social studies classes, and a useful story for e@a%ining the co%-onents and co%-le@ities of war in generalD the -artici-antsA the inhu%ane acts and atrocities that are co%%ittedA their a(surdityA and the ways in which they e&ol&e. /ibliography) /e, Ken>a(uro. 6ne7pected uteness. !ranslated (y .illia% .etherall. ,apan =uarterly 1January4March 78=86D --. 05499. A co-y of this short story is a&aila(le at the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society.

98

<lame *rees by 9i>a(i Sato(o (b! *,:,

&ype o' wor() short story Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable ) 4$, +rade level) *#th- **th- *.th Summary) $n 78<0, Ma#i#o and her hus(and are s-ending a year in "asadena, California. !he reader e&entually learns that Ma#i#o, who grew u- in Manchuria, was or-haned at the age of si@. Her %other died and her father was ta#en away to a wor# ca%- in Si(eria where he is -resu%ed dead. !he terror of (eing alone and a(andoned still haunts Ma#i#o in her adult life. !hen, the (irth of a son allows her to co%e to gri-s with her fears and reintegrate her life. &hemes) $%%igrationHe@-atriation44all of the characters are li&ing in the F.S. (ut ha&e co%e fro% other -arts of the worldA the a(ility to ha&e the Bdou(le consciousnessC of a te%-orary foreign resident can (e rele&ant to students in New :or#A fa%ily lifeA the -sychology of the %ain characterEs trau%aA war %e%oriesA i%ages that ha&e resonance to inner life44sun, fire and fla%e trees. /ibliography) Ki>a#i, Sato#o. Flame Trees. $n The 'hoeni7 Tree and Other 1tories, translated (y Carol A. 'lath, --. 924727. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 7883.

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/nthologies of Japanese Literature

*irn(au%, Alfred, ed. onkey -rain 1ushi) New Tastes in ,apanese Fiction. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 7887. Selections of daring and off4(eat stories fro% conte%-orary authors such as Mura#a%i Haru#i and !a#eno Masato. $ncludes T5 'eople and The Yamada *iary. *ra>ell, Karen, ed. Traditional ,apanese Theater) An Anthology of 'lays. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. Contains -lays and co%%entaries on wor#s of noh, #yogen, (unra#u and #a(u#i. $ncludes The *elicious 'oison. essel, +an C. and !o%one Matsu%oto, ed. 1howa Anthology) odern ,apanese 1hort 1tories. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78=5. A collection of short stories fro% distinguished authors such as $(use Masu?i, $noue :asushi, A(e Ko(o and /e Ken>a(uro. Keene, ,onald 1editor6. Anthology of ,apanese #iterature from the earliest Era to the id8 Nineteenth Century. N:D ro&e "ress, 78==. A co%-ilation of stories, essays, -oe%s, -lays and diaries dating fro% the ancient era to the %id478th century. $ncludes e@cer-ts of classics such as The 'illow -ook, Tale of (en.i and #o$e 1uicides at 1one3aki. Keene, ,onald 1editor6. odern ,apanese #iterature) An Anthology. NY) (ro$e 'ress0 9>?>. A co%-anion and continuation of KeeneEs anthology of early literature. /e, Ken>a(uro, ed. The Cra3y /ris and Other 1tories of the Atomic Aftermath. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 78=5. A collection of short stories focusing on the ato%ic (o%(ings of Hiroshi%a and Nagasa#i in August of 7895.

Japanese *heater
/rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6. ,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an Society, 7882. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 233 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo -ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !he (oo# and &ideo %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society.

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