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Hōjōki
, variously translated as ''An Account of My Hut'' or ''The Ten Foot Square Hut'', is an important and popular short work of the early Kamakura period (1185–1333) in Japan by Kamo no Chōmei. Written in March 1212, the work depicts the Buddhist concept of impermanence (''mujō'') through the description of various disasters such as earthquake, famine, whirlwind and conflagration that befall the people of the capital city Kyoto. The author Chōmei, who in his early career worked as court poet and was also an accomplished player of the biwa and koto, became a Buddhist monk in his fifties and moved farther and farther into the mountains, eventually living in a 10-foot square hut located at Mt. Hino. The work has been classified both as belonging to the zuihitsu genre and as Buddhist literature. Now considered as a Japanese literary classic, the work remains part of the Japanese school curriculum. The opening sentence of ''Hōjōki'' is famous in Japanese literature as an expre ...
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Kamo No Chōmei
was a Japanese author, poet (in the waka form), and essayist. He witnessed a series of natural and social disasters, and, having lost his political backing, was passed over for promotion within the Shinto shrine associated with his family. He decided to turn his back on society, took Buddhist vows, and became a hermit, living outside the capital. This was somewhat unusual for the time, when those who turned their backs on the world usually joined monasteries. Along with the poet-priest Saigyō he is representative of the literary recluses of his time, and his celebrated essay ''Hōjōki'' ("An Account of a Ten-Foot-Square Hut") is representative of the genre known as " recluse literature" (sōan bungaku). Early life Born with the name Kamo no Nagaakira, he was the second son of Kamo no Nagatsugu, ''sho-negi'' or superintendent, of the Lower Kamo ( Shimogamo) shrine. He was also known by the title Kikudaifu. The exact year of his birth is unknown, but thought to be either 11 ...
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Chiteiki
''Chiteiki'' ( 池亭記) is a classic work of Japanese non-fiction literature written during the late tenth century by Yoshishige no Yasutane 慶滋保胤 (c. 933–1002). Composed in Sino-Japanese (''kanbun'' 漢文), ''Chiteiki'' is considered a foundational example of recluse writing known as “thatched-hut literature” (''sōan bungaku'' 草庵文学). The style belongs to a genre called ''zuihitsu'' 随筆, which might be compared to the writing style of a diary or modern blog for its loosely connected, “train of thought” character. ''Chiteiki'' recapitulates conventional Chinese-Confucian narratives about the scholar-official who longs for a life of solitude away from the duty and dross of the city. Although the prose bears the imprints of Chinese antecedents, the aesthetics of ''Chiteiki'' are unmistakably Japanese. Indeed, the work establishes a set of domestic tropes related to renunciation that permeates later Japanese writings. Chief among them is the house, whic ...
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Zuihitsu
is a genre of Japanese literature consisting of loosely connected personal essays and fragmented ideas that typically respond to the author's surroundings. The name is derived from two Kanji meaning "at will" and "pen." The provenance of the term is ultimately Chinese, ''zuihitsu'' being the Sino-Japanese reading (''on'yomi'') of 随筆 ( Mandarin: ''suíbǐ''), the native reading (''kun'yomi'') of which is ''fude ni shitagau'' (“follow the brush”). Thus works of the genre should be considered not as traditionally planned literary pieces but rather as casual or randomly recorded thoughts by the authors. History ''Zuihitsu'' emerged in the Heian Period with Sei Shōnagon's ''The Pillow Book''. Shōnagon, a member of the Heian Imperial Court, kept a private diary of her own observations and musings about courtly life. It is unclear whether or not she intended it to be released to the public (sections of the work suggest that she did not), but the work nevertheless survived and ...
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Jishō
was a after '' Angen'' and before '' Yōwa''. This period spanned the years from August 1177 through July 1181. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1177 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in ''Angen'' 3, on the 4th day of the 8th month of 1177. Events of the ''Jishō'' era * 1177 (''Jishō 1, 28th day of the 4th month''): A great fire in the capital was spread by high winds; and the palace was reduced to cinders. * 1178 (''Jishō 2, 12th day of the 11th month''): Emperor Takakura's consort, Tokuko, gives birth to an infant who will become Emperor Antoku.Kitagawa, H. (1975). ''The Tale of the Heike'', p. 784. * 1180 (''Jisho 4, 21st day of the 2nd month''): Emperor Takakura abdicates. * 1180 (''Jishō 4, 21st day of the 4th month''): In the 12th year of Takakura''-tennō''s reign (高倉天皇12年), the emperor was forced to abdicate; and the succession (''senso'') was received ...
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Zuihitsu
is a genre of Japanese literature consisting of loosely connected personal essays and fragmented ideas that typically respond to the author's surroundings. The name is derived from two Kanji meaning "at will" and "pen." The provenance of the term is ultimately Chinese, ''zuihitsu'' being the Sino-Japanese reading (''on'yomi'') of 随筆 ( Mandarin: ''suíbǐ''), the native reading (''kun'yomi'') of which is ''fude ni shitagau'' (“follow the brush”). Thus works of the genre should be considered not as traditionally planned literary pieces but rather as casual or randomly recorded thoughts by the authors. History ''Zuihitsu'' emerged in the Heian Period with Sei Shōnagon's ''The Pillow Book''. Shōnagon, a member of the Heian Imperial Court, kept a private diary of her own observations and musings about courtly life. It is unclear whether or not she intended it to be released to the public (sections of the work suggest that she did not), but the work nevertheless survived and ...
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Kamakura Period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan. During the early Kamakura period, the shogunate continued warfare against the Northern Fujiwara which was only defeated in 1189. Then, the authority to the Kamakura rulers waned in the 1190s and power was transferred to the powerful Hōjō clan in the early 13th century with the head of the clan as regent ( Shikken) under the shogun which became a powerless figurehead. The later Kamakura period saw the invasions of the Mongols in 1274 and again in 1281. To reduce the amount of chaos, the Hōjō rulers decided to decentralize power by allowing two imperial lines – Northern and ...
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Impermanence
Impermanence, also known as the philosophical problem of change, is a philosophical concept addressed in a variety of religions and philosophies. In Eastern philosophy it is notable for its role in the Buddhist three marks of existence. It is also an element of Hinduism. In Western philosophy it is most famously known through its first appearance in Greek philosophy in the writings of Heraclitus and in his doctrine of ''panta rhei'' (everything flows). In Western philosophy the concept is also referred to as '' ''becoming''. Indian religions The Pali word for impermanence, ''anicca'', is a compound word consisting of ''"a"'' meaning non-, and ''"nicca"'' meaning "constant, continuous, permanent". While 'nicca' is the concept of continuity and permanence, 'anicca' refers to its exact opposite; the absence of permanence and continuity. The term is synonymous with the Sanskrit term ''anitya'' (a + nitya). The concept of impermanence is prominent in Buddhism, and it is also ...
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Yōwa
was a after ''Jishō'' and before ''Juei.'' This period spanned the years from July 1181 through May 1182. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1181 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in ''Jishō'' 5, on the 14th day of the 7th month of 1181. Events of the ''Yōwa'' era * 1181 (''Yōwa 1, 25th day of the 11th month''): Tokuko, former consort of the late Emperor Takakura, adopts the name of Kenreimon-in. * 1181 (''Yōwa 1''): A famine that lasts for two years blights this era.Kamo no Chōmei. (1212). ''Hōjōki.'' Notes References * Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979) ''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''Berkeley: University of California Press. OCLC 251325323* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005) ''Japan encyclopedia.''Cambridge: Harvard University Press. OCLC 58053128* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Odai Ichiran''; ou ''Annales des empereurs du Japon. ...
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Recluse Literature
Recluse Literature refers to a Japanese literary movement that rose to its peak in the late Heian Period. History The origins of the literary style known as Recluse Literature has roots in the Taoist movement in China, said to date back to the 3rd or 4th century BCE. Like the recluses of Japan, Taoist philosophers such as Zhuangzi and Laozi advocated a casting off of the bonds of society and government, and instead living a life free of obligations and the pressures of urban life. The first Japanese recluse is considered to be Saigyō Hōshi, who worked as a guard to retired Emperor Toba until the age of 22, at which time for reasons unknown he took the vows of a monk and proceeded to live alone for long periods of time. Following the relocation of the capital from Heian (present day Kyoto) to Kamakura, located 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo, many court aristocrats, due mainly to the influence of Jōdo shū or Pure Land Buddhism, became disillusioned with the standards a ...
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List Of Japanese Classical Texts
This is a list of texts written in classical Japanese, grouped by genres and in chronological order. Genres Buddhism * Sangyō Gisho ** Shōmangyō Gisho (611) ** Yuimagyō Gisho (613) ** Hokke Gisho (615) * Gangōji Garan Engi (747) * Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki (late Nara period) * Sangō Shiiki (794) * Ōjōyōshū (985) * heike nōkyō (1164) * Senchaku Hongan Nenbutsushū (1189) * Shōbōgenzō (mid 13th century) * Kyogyoshinsho (Kamakura period) * Tannisho (late Kamakura period) * Denkoroku (late Kamakura period) Confucianism and philosophy * Go Rin no Sho 1645 * Fudōchi Shinmyōroku (unknown) * Rongo Shitsuchu (1600) * Okina Mondō (1641) * Daigaku Kuwakumon (1655–1658) * Seikyo Yoroku (1665) * Shugi Washo (1673) * Gomo Jiki (1683) * Banmin Tokuyo (early 16th century) * Santokushō (early 16th century) * Dojimon (1704) * Shugi Gaisho (1709) * Rongo Kogi (1712) * Yojokun (1713) * Seiyō Kibun (1715) * Bendo (1717) * Benmei (1717) * Oritaku Shiba no ...
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Japanese Literature
Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanese creole language. Indian literature also had an influence through the spread of Buddhism in Japan. During the Heian period, Japan's original culture () developed and literature also established its own style, with the significant usage and development of to write Japanese literature. Following the Perry Expedition which led to the end of the policy and the forced reopening of foreign trade, Western literature has also made influences to the development of modern Japanese writers, while Japanese literature has in turn become more recognized internationally, leading to two Japanese Nobel laureates in literature, namely Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburō Ōe. History Nara-period literature (before 794) Before the introduction of kanji ...
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Impermanence
Impermanence, also known as the philosophical problem of change, is a philosophical concept addressed in a variety of religions and philosophies. In Eastern philosophy it is notable for its role in the Buddhist three marks of existence. It is also an element of Hinduism. In Western philosophy it is most famously known through its first appearance in Greek philosophy in the writings of Heraclitus and in his doctrine of ''panta rhei'' (everything flows). In Western philosophy the concept is also referred to as '' ''becoming''. Indian religions The Pali word for impermanence, ''anicca'', is a compound word consisting of ''"a"'' meaning non-, and ''"nicca"'' meaning "constant, continuous, permanent". While 'nicca' is the concept of continuity and permanence, 'anicca' refers to its exact opposite; the absence of permanence and continuity. The term is synonymous with the Sanskrit term ''anitya'' (a + nitya). The concept of impermanence is prominent in Buddhism, and it is also ...
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