06. Il Genji Monogatari E I Monogatari Post Genji
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BA Thesis an Overview of Stereotyped Portrayals of LGBT+ People In
BA thesis in Japanese Language and Culture An Overview of Stereotyped Portrayals of LGBT+ People in Japanese Fiction and Literature Analysis of the historical evolution and commercialization of BL and yuri genres, and social practice of its consumer culture Bára B.S. Jóhannesdóttir Supervisor Kristín Ingvarsdóttir May 2021 FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND CULTURES Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Japanskt Mál og Menning An Overview of Stereotyped Portrayals of LGBT+ People in Japanese Fiction and Literature Analysis of the historical evolution and commercialization of BL and yuri genres, and social practice of its consumer culture Ritgerð til BA-prófs 10 ECTS Bára B.S. Jóhannesdóttir Kt.: 210496-2039 Leiðbeinandi: Kristín Ingvarsdóttir Maí 2021 1 Abstract This essay will explore the history of the portrayal of LGBT+ people in Japanese fiction, starting from The Tale of Genji, a novel from the early 11th century that is widely considered to be the first classic in history, and to the proper establishment of what is known as the BL (boys’ love) and yuri genres. BL, as the name suggests, is a genre that features the relationship between two male characters, usually in a romantic and/or sexual nature, while yuri is between two female characters. There will be a short examination of LGBT+ portrayal in historical literary works and art before moving onto a more detailed recounting of modern fiction and television. Some ancient literature will be reviewed, comparing real-life societal norms to their fictional counterparts. The focus will mainly be on the introduction of the BL genre, the historical evolution of it, the commercial start of it, the main components that make up the genre, and why it is as popular as it is, a well as an examination of the culture surrounding the fans of the genre. -
Japanese Aesthetics and the Tale of Genji Liya Li Department of English SUNY/Rockland Community College [email protected] T
Japanese Aesthetics and The Tale of Genji Liya Li Department of English SUNY/Rockland Community College [email protected] Table of Contents 1. Themes and Uses 2. Instructor’s Introduction 3. Student Readings 4. Discussion Questions 5. Sample Writing Assignments 6. Further Reading and Resources 1. Themes and Uses Using an excerpt from the chapter “The Sacred Tree,” this unit offers a guide to a close examination of Japanese aesthetics in The Tale of Genji (ca.1010). This two-session lesson plan can be used in World Literature courses or any course that teaches components of Zen Buddhism or Japanese aesthetics (e.g. Introduction to Buddhism, the History of Buddhism, Philosophy, Japanese History, Asian Literature, or World Religion). Specifically, the lesson plan aims at helping students develop a deeper appreciation for both the novel and important concepts of Japanese aesthetics. Over the centuries since its composition, Genji has been read through the lenses of some of the following terms, which are explored in this unit: • miyabi (“courtly elegance”; refers to the aristocracy’s privileging of a refined aesthetic sensibility and an indirectness of expression) • mono no aware (the “poignant beauty of things;” describes a cultivated sensitivity to the ineluctable transience of the world) • wabi-sabi (wabi can be translated as “rustic beauty” and sabi as “desolate beauty;” the qualities usually associated with wabi and sabi are austerity, imperfection, and a palpable sense of the passage of time. • yûgen (an emotion, a sentiment, or a mood so subtle and profoundly elegant that it is beyond what words can describe) For further explanation of these concepts, see the unit “Buddhism and Japanese Aesthetics” (forthcoming on the ExEAS website.) 2. -
Introduction This Exhibition Celebrates the Spectacular Artistic Tradition
Introduction This exhibition celebrates the spectacular artistic tradition inspired by The Tale of Genji, a monument of world literature created in the early eleventh century, and traces the evolution and reception of its imagery through the following ten centuries. The author, the noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, centered her narrative on the “radiant Genji” (hikaru Genji), the son of an emperor who is demoted to commoner status and is therefore disqualified from ever ascending the throne. With an insatiable desire to recover his lost standing, Genji seeks out countless amorous encounters with women who might help him revive his imperial lineage. Readers have long reveled in the amusing accounts of Genji’s romantic liaisons and in the dazzling descriptions of the courtly splendor of the Heian period (794–1185). The tale has been equally appreciated, however, as social and political commentary, aesthetic theory, Buddhist philosophy, a behavioral guide, and a source of insight into human nature. Offering much more than romance, The Tale of Genji proved meaningful not only for men and women of the aristocracy but also for Buddhist adherents and institutions, military leaders and their families, and merchants and townspeople. The galleries that follow present the full spectrum of Genji-related works of art created for diverse patrons by the most accomplished Japanese artists of the past millennium. The exhibition also sheds new light on the tale’s author and her female characters, and on the women readers, artists, calligraphers, and commentators who played a crucial role in ensuring the continued relevance of this classic text. The manuscripts, paintings, calligraphy, and decorative arts on display demonstrate sophisticated and surprising interpretations of the story that promise to enrich our understanding of Murasaki’s tale today. -
Reading the Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa: an Introduction to the "Natsuhon"
1040 Reading the Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa: An Introduction to the "Natsuhon" by Kenji Nakanishi Although the study of digests of the Genji Monogatari is a major field in Genji Monogatari research, digests from the early modern era have not been studied thoroughly. Kitamura Koshun (1648-97), legitimate son of Kitamura Kigin (1624-1705) who was the author of the Kogetsusho, supported his father's literary activities and had high expectations for the future; however, he predeceased his father, leaving a single work, the Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa. Writing the work took considerable time, but it was more unfortunate that it remained inaccessible to the public until it was published as a printed edition in 1834. Due to this fact, the Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa was appreciated by a limited audience through its manuscripts. It is an excellent digest which skillfully summarizes the gist of the Genji Monogatari without spoiling the atmosphere of the whole tale. It was in this light that I published a variorum edition in addition to several studies in my book Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa no Kenkyuu (A Study of the Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa). The present article, which is meant to supplement my previous research, considers the newly-appeared manuscript called the "Natsuhon" (the second of four books in the manuscript). The "Natsuhon" includes the section from the Eawase book to the Umegae book, and thus includes the "Tamakazura Jyujyo", which is considered to be single section within the Genji Monogatari. This article examines how the "Tamakazura Jyujyo" is covered in the Genji Monogatari Shinobugusa, and indicates the bibliographical features of the "Natsuhon". -
Writing Behind the Scenes: Visions of Gender and Age in Enchi Fumiko's World of Performing Arts
Scuola Dottorale di Ateneo Graduate School Dottorato di ricerca in Lingue e Civiltà dell'Asia e dell'Africa Mediterranea Ciclo XXIV Anno di discussione 2013 Writing Behind the Scenes: Visions of Gender and Age in Enchi Fumiko’s World of Performing Arts SETTORE SCIENTIFICO DISCIPLINARE DI AFFERENZA: L-OR/22 Tesi di Dottorato di Daniela Moro, matricola 955663 Coordinatore del Dottorato Tutore del Dottorando Prof. Attilio Andreini Prof. Bonaventura Ruperti For my nephew, a new life soon to be born into the world Acknowledgements I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who have, in one way or another, helped me to bring this dissertation to completion. At the outset, I would like to thank my advisor Prof. Bonaventura Ruperti and Prof. Luisa Bienati for their continuous support. A special “Thank You” to Prof. Gaye Rowley for her help, dedication and precious advice, and to my previous advisor Prof. Kanai Keiko, who welcomed me to her seminary after the end of my Master’s course at Waseda University. I also would like to thank Prof. Kobayashi and all the members of Waseda University Gender Studies Institute, who inspired me with many discussions. I would like to thank all my Ph.D. colleagues from Ca’ Foscari University for their psychological support, together with their suggestions and stimulating discussions. In particular, Caterina Mazza, for her irreplaceable suggestions, support with my lack of practical skills and for giving me ongoing motivation, and Dr. Pierantonio Zanotti for his advice and help. I also would like to thank all my colleagues from Waseda University, with a special thanks to Hannah Tamura, Victoria Young and Ji Yeon Shim for their stimulating discussions and precious encouragement. -
Rape in the Tale of Genji
SWEAT, TEARS AND NIGHTMARES: TEXTUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN HEIAN AND KAMAKURA MONOGATARI by OTILIA CLARA MILUTIN B.A., The University of Bucharest, 2003 M.A., The University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Asian Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August 2015 ©Otilia Clara Milutin 2015 Abstract Readers and scholars of monogatari—court tales written between the ninth and the early twelfth century (during the Heian and Kamakura periods)—have generally agreed that much of their focus is on amorous encounters. They have, however, rarely addressed the question of whether these encounters are mutually desirable or, on the contrary, uninvited and therefore aggressive. For fear of anachronism, the topic of sexual violence has not been commonly pursued in the analyses of monogatari. I argue that not only can the phenomenon of sexual violence be clearly defined in the context of the monogatari genre, by drawing on contemporary feminist theories and philosophical debates, but also that it is easily identifiable within the text of these tales, by virtue of the coherent and cohesive patterns used to represent it. In my analysis of seven monogatari—Taketori, Utsuho, Ochikubo, Genji, Yoru no Nezame, Torikaebaya and Ariake no wakare—I follow the development of the textual representations of sexual violence and analyze them in relation to the role of these tales in supporting or subverting existing gender hierarchies. Finally, I examine the connection between representations of sexual violence and the monogatari genre itself. -
Introduction to Emaki
Introduction to Emaki The emakimono or emaki is a horizontal illustrated narrative scroll that is distinctly Japanese. Its predecessors originated in India and, along with Buddhism, came to Japan through China. Scrolls were used to depict stories of historical events, provide religious commentary, illustrate works of fiction and poetry, or serve as a form of creative expression for the artist. Scrolls were most often made of paper or occasionally from silk. They were attached to a wooden dowel at the left end and then rolled up for storage on shelves or in boxes. The story or narrative was read by unrolling the scroll a little at a time, from right to left, like Japanese is written. Japanese is traditionally written in vertical lines from right to left so the format of scrolls, with the text alternating with pictures, was a format compatible with Japanese writing conventions. The scenes developed in movie-like fashion, unrolling the narrative for the viewer. After the scroll was viewed, it was rolled up. Pictures were drawn with ink, painted, or stamped. The ink or water-soluble colors were applied with animal-hair brushes. There was no way to correct a mistake or to repaint, as can be done with oil or acrylic paint. Planning ahead was important; because painting was done on the spot, the result was a spontaneity and freshness to the work. Work was intense because a single brush stroke could ruin a scroll. Scrolls were generally 8 to 20 inches in height and could reach up to 60 feet in length. A story could take from one to as many as ten scrolls. -
Inez Suhardjo East Asian Studies, Haverford College Professors Hank Glassman and Pauline Lin Spring 2010 Suhardjo 2
New Half: Japanese Transsexuals and Their Place in Japanese Literature and Society Inez Suhardjo East Asian Studies, Haverford College Professors Hank Glassman and Pauline Lin Spring 2010 Suhardjo 2 Abstract In 2008, amidst the continued presence of gays and transsexuals in Japanese media after the "gay boom" of the 1990s, a "New Half' transsexual individual by the name of Tsubaki Ayana wrote a memoir entitled Watashi, Danshikou Shusshin Desu (I Went to a Boys' School), which describes her experience growing up in "the wrong body" — that is, with the male-attributed penis even though she has never considered herself male. The main purpose of this paper is to determine the place that Tsubaki's work has within the body of gay literature, and to trace the ways that gay literature has been shaped throughout different times and within different societies. In doing so, this paper ultimately shows that a link that is amorphous and indefinite — but unquestionably present — exists between works of literature, the historical times that they come from, and the social spaces that they occupy. Watashi is examined as three types of literature: autobiography, entertainment, and social commentary. To examine the work's place in literature as each of these types, it is compared to three other works that can be considered part of the canon of Japanese gay literature: Mishima Yukio's Confessions of a Mask as autobiography, the late-Heian era tale The Changelings as entertainment, and Hiruma Hisao's Yes Yes Yes as social commentary. Through literary analysis, this paper draws parallels between Watashi and each of the works chosen for each category. -
The Disaster of the Third Princess
6. Two Post-Genji Tales on The Tale of Genji Two roughly late twelfth century works represent a transition in the reception of The Tale of Genji. The first, Genji shaku by Sesonji Koreyuki (d. 1175), begins the long line of scholarly commentaries that are still being written today.1 The second, Mumyōzōshi (ca. 1200, attributed to Shunzei’s Daughter), can perhaps be said to round off the preceding era, when Genji was simply a monogatari (tale) among others, enjoyed above all by women. In contrast with Koreyuki’s textual glosses, Mumyōzōshi gives passionate reader responses to characters and incidents in several monogatari, including Genji. The discovery of something like it from much earlier in the preceding two hundred years would be very welcome. Fortunately, some evidence of earlier reader reception survives after all, not in critical works, but in post-Genji tales themselves. Showing as they do demonstrable Genji influence, they presumably suggest at times, in one way or another, what the author made of Genji, or how she understood this or that part of it. This essay will discuss examples from Sagoromo monogatari (ca. 1070–80, by Rokujō no Saiin Senji, who served the Kamo Priestess Princess Baishi)2 and Hamamatsu Chūnagon monogatari (ca. 1060, attributed to the author of Sarashina nikki). Chief among them are the meaning of the chapter title “Yume no ukihashi”; the question of what happens to Ukifune between “Ukifune” and “Tenarai”; and the significance of Genji’s affair with Fujitsubo. Discussion of these topics, especially the second, will hark back at times to material presented in earlier essays, although this time with a different purpose. -
Dying in Two Dimensions: Genji Emaki and the Wages of Depth Perception
R EGINALD J ACKS ON Dying in Two Dimensions: Genji emaki and the Wages of Depth Perception !e Gotō Museum’s “Yomigaeru Genji monogatari emaki” exhibit of – was an ambitious attempt to “resurrect” (yomigaeru) the museum’s legendary illus- trated handscrolls of !e Tale of Genji (the Genji monogatari emaki) by analyz- ing the flaking, faded twelfth-century scrolls scientifically and having artists paint a series of new, more polished and more vibrant but ostensibly “faithful” copies to be exhibited alongside the originals. In its apparent attempt to make the scrolls more accessible and appealing to modern audiences, the exhibit was nothing less than an attempt to produce a contemporary viewing public in relation to art of the Heian period (–).¹ But such a desire to consoli- date the audience’s impressions of the artwork does away with facets of the scrolls that might endanger the construction of a unified viewership. In par- ticular, the refabrication of the scrolls strategically excludes the narrative cal- ligraphic kotobagaki sections that in fact compose the lion’s share of the extant Genji scrolls, effectively severing an intimate bond between narrative text and narrative image. Even more significantly, the redacted reproduction fails to account for the calligraphic performance of dying that figures so prominently in the climatic deathbed scenes of the Tale of Genji protagonists Kashiwagi and Murasaki no Ue. In this article, I would like to consider some of the potential 150 implications of this omission. My primary goal will be to think through the spatial and temporal dimensions of artistic representations of death in rela- tion to the composition—and decomposition—of the Genji emaki. -
Trans-Gender Themes in Japanese Literature from the Medieval to Meiji Eras
University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses Dissertations and Theses July 2017 Trans-gender Themes in Japanese Literature From the Medieval to Meiji Eras Jessica Riggan University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2 Part of the Japanese Studies Commons Recommended Citation Riggan, Jessica, "Trans-gender Themes in Japanese Literature From the Medieval to Meiji Eras" (2017). Masters Theses. 532. https://doi.org/10.7275/10139588 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/532 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Trans-Gender Themes in Japanese Literature from the Medieval to Meiji Eras A Thesis Presented by Jessica Riggan Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2017 Japanese Asian Languages and Cultures Trans-Gender Themes in Japanese Literature from the Medieval to Meiji Eras A Thesis Presented By JESSICA RIGGAN Approved as to style and content by: Stephen Miller, Chair Amanda Seaman, Member Bruce Baird, Member Bruce Baird, Unit Director Japanese Languages and Cultures Part of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures William Moebius, Department Head Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Professor Stephen Miller, for his continued guidance and patience during my thesis-writing process. -
The Tale of Genji” and Its Selected Adaptations
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Jagiellonian Univeristy Repository Anna Kuchta Instytut Filozo!i, Uniwersytet Jagielloński Joanna Malita Instytut Religioznawstwa, Uniwersytet Jagielloński Spirit possession and emotional suffering in „The Tale of Genji” and its selected adaptations. A study of love triangle between Prince Genji, Lady Aoi and Lady Rokujō Considered a fundamental work of Japanese literature – even the whole Japanese culture – !e Tale of Genji, written a thousand years ago by lady Murasaki Shikibu (a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court of the empress Shōshi1 in Heian Japan2), continues to awe the readers and inspire the artists up to the 21st century. %e amount of adaptations of the story, including more traditional arts (like Nō theatre) and modern versions (here !lms, manga and anime can be mentioned) only proves the timeless value and importance of the tale. %e academics have always regarded !e Tale of Genji as a very abundant source, too, as numerous analyses and studies have been produced hitherto. %is article intends to add to the perception of spiri- tual possession in the novel itself, as well as in selected adaptations. From poems to scents, from courtly romance to political intrigues: Shikibu covers the life of aristocrats so thoroughly that it became one of the main sour- ces of knowledge about Heian music3. Murasaki’s novel depicts the perfect male, 1 For the transcript of the Japanese words and names, the Hepburn romanisation system is used. %e Japanese names are given in the Japanese order (with family name !rst and personal name second).