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Traditional Japanese Literature: An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600
Traditional Japanese Literature features a rich array of works dating from the very beginnings of the Japanese written language through the evolution of Japan's noted aristocratic court and warrior cultures. It contains stunning new translations of such canonical texts as The Tales of the Heike as well as works and genres previously ignored by scholars and unknown to general readers.
This volume includes generous selections from Man'yÿsh , The Tale of Genji , The Pillow Book , Kokinsh , and other classics of Japanese literature, as well as a stunning range of folk literature, epic tales of war, poetry, and no drama. The anthology offers an impressive representation of dramatic, poetic, and fictional works from both high and low culture, along with religious and secular anecdotes, literary criticism, and works written in Chinese by Japanese writers. The wealth of classical poetry, linked verse, and popular poetry is accompanied by extensive commentary.
Traditional Japanese Literature is a companion volume to Columbia University Press's Early Modern Japanese An Anthology, 1600-1900 and part of its four-volume history of Japanese literature. Arranged by chronology and genre, the readings are insightfully introduced and placed into their political, cultural, and literary context, and the extensive bibliographies offer further study for scholars and readers. Including a wide range of classic and popular works in poetry, prose, and drama, this anthology presents a definitive overview of traditional Japanese literature and deepens our understanding of classical and medieval Japanese culture.
This volume includes generous selections from Man'yÿsh , The Tale of Genji , The Pillow Book , Kokinsh , and other classics of Japanese literature, as well as a stunning range of folk literature, epic tales of war, poetry, and no drama. The anthology offers an impressive representation of dramatic, poetic, and fictional works from both high and low culture, along with religious and secular anecdotes, literary criticism, and works written in Chinese by Japanese writers. The wealth of classical poetry, linked verse, and popular poetry is accompanied by extensive commentary.
Traditional Japanese Literature is a companion volume to Columbia University Press's Early Modern Japanese An Anthology, 1600-1900 and part of its four-volume history of Japanese literature. Arranged by chronology and genre, the readings are insightfully introduced and placed into their political, cultural, and literary context, and the extensive bibliographies offer further study for scholars and readers. Including a wide range of classic and popular works in poetry, prose, and drama, this anthology presents a definitive overview of traditional Japanese literature and deepens our understanding of classical and medieval Japanese culture.
1288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 28, 2020
There are perhaps not many 1200-page anthologies I could read cover to cover and enjoy almost invariably. This is one of them. The selections are rich, the translations readable, and the annotations helpful.
April 23, 2026
Rating this book is challenging. Am I rating the stories? Or the explanations given by the scholars of Columbia University who assembled the book? Or do I go off vibes? I didn't read every page, story, or explanation; is this a DNF? Or did I "finish" in the sense that I got what I wanted?
To give my most general sentiments of this volume: I found the stories fascinating, strange, and thought provoking. There's *a lot* here, and I wouldn't consider any of it an easy read. This book is presented in an academic manner, making the commentary of those assembling this anthology a bit difficult to parse through at times. It seems the book was prepared for the reader to go from cover to cover, digesting the trends of the time periods in order to see an evolution of literature in Japan. When read this way, you learn some neat stuff. Who knew that the haiku, a poetic structure of 17 syllables, came from a previous form of 31 syllables? Assembling all of this scholarly work while pairing it with re-translated classical literature is a colossal achievement; unfortunately, this means it can be kinda dry. Nonetheless, the commentary is interesting if you have the endurance. The textbook nature did hamper my enjoyment a little, which is why I didn't rate it 5/5 stars, though I'm not exactly the target audience I suspect.
Where this book shines is in the stories themselves. They are so fun and unique. It's also kind of surprising to see tropes that have been imported into modern media. Some of the stories are abridged, which is unfortunate, but entertaining no less. You could buy this book solely for the stories and reference them from time to time while skipping the commentary if you wanted, as there is so much material here that you'd spend plenty of time simply reading them without engaging with the other stuff. Some of the memorable stories I read:
-The slaying of Shuten Doji, which was kind of a dark and horrifying tale.
-Yoshimitsu and Benkei, a lord and his retainer, and how they met their end (I saw the Kabuki play "Yoshimitsu and the thousand Cherry Blossoms" in Japan, which you can find on YouTube if you want, so I was already invested in this story)
-Some stories of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, such as the birth of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu or Susano-o vs the eight headed dragon
-"How a Group of Nuns Went into the Mountains, Ate Some Mushrooms, and Danced" which is exactly as the title describes and, in my own opinion, makes no allusion to how people enjoyed psychedelics even back then
But perhaps my personal favorite was the story of The Bamboo-Cutter. It's a short story that could maybe-sorta be considered Sci-fi.
A Bamboo-Cutter finds a child three inches tall in a stalk of bamboo. He and his wife raise the child lovingly over 20 years as if she were their own. She grows into adult hood, full height, and is so stunningly beautiful that she becomes the topic of discussion of the land. When suitors come seeking her hand in marriage and ask the Bamboo-Cutter for permission to marry her, instead of handing her off for a beneficial union as was customary, he instead consults her and asks what she desires instead. She wants no suitor, to which the Bamboo-Cutter and his wife support her decision. The suitors go on wild quests to prove their affection and all fail. Even the Emperor himself becomes enraptured by her and orders the Bamboo-Cutter to bring her to his court. The Bamboo-Cutter's daughter refuses, and is in turn supported by her adoptive parents who refuse the Emperor. The Emperor, enraged, barges in the daughter's room only to be so stunned by her beauty that he leaves, wishing to impose no more. The daughter afterward reveals to her parents that she is, in fact, a divine being who once resided on the moon and was cast out for some unremembered sin she once committed. Soon, her people will come to forcefully reclaim her. She does not wish to return, wishing to stay with her adoptive parents and their humble way of living. But there is no hope of her staying, for no one can resist the Divine and their presence.
The ending of the story I'll leave out, hoping that if you aren't encouraged to read this massive volume of classic Japanese literature, that you would at least look up a translation of the Bamboo-Cutter and read the story for yourself. It's quite possibly one of my favorite fairy tales now.
Did I read everything this anthology has to offer? No, but I will continue to read from time to time and hopefully find more gems to enjoy.
To give my most general sentiments of this volume: I found the stories fascinating, strange, and thought provoking. There's *a lot* here, and I wouldn't consider any of it an easy read. This book is presented in an academic manner, making the commentary of those assembling this anthology a bit difficult to parse through at times. It seems the book was prepared for the reader to go from cover to cover, digesting the trends of the time periods in order to see an evolution of literature in Japan. When read this way, you learn some neat stuff. Who knew that the haiku, a poetic structure of 17 syllables, came from a previous form of 31 syllables? Assembling all of this scholarly work while pairing it with re-translated classical literature is a colossal achievement; unfortunately, this means it can be kinda dry. Nonetheless, the commentary is interesting if you have the endurance. The textbook nature did hamper my enjoyment a little, which is why I didn't rate it 5/5 stars, though I'm not exactly the target audience I suspect.
Where this book shines is in the stories themselves. They are so fun and unique. It's also kind of surprising to see tropes that have been imported into modern media. Some of the stories are abridged, which is unfortunate, but entertaining no less. You could buy this book solely for the stories and reference them from time to time while skipping the commentary if you wanted, as there is so much material here that you'd spend plenty of time simply reading them without engaging with the other stuff. Some of the memorable stories I read:
-The slaying of Shuten Doji, which was kind of a dark and horrifying tale.
-Yoshimitsu and Benkei, a lord and his retainer, and how they met their end (I saw the Kabuki play "Yoshimitsu and the thousand Cherry Blossoms" in Japan, which you can find on YouTube if you want, so I was already invested in this story)
-Some stories of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, such as the birth of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu or Susano-o vs the eight headed dragon
-"How a Group of Nuns Went into the Mountains, Ate Some Mushrooms, and Danced" which is exactly as the title describes and, in my own opinion, makes no allusion to how people enjoyed psychedelics even back then
But perhaps my personal favorite was the story of The Bamboo-Cutter. It's a short story that could maybe-sorta be considered Sci-fi.
A Bamboo-Cutter finds a child three inches tall in a stalk of bamboo. He and his wife raise the child lovingly over 20 years as if she were their own. She grows into adult hood, full height, and is so stunningly beautiful that she becomes the topic of discussion of the land. When suitors come seeking her hand in marriage and ask the Bamboo-Cutter for permission to marry her, instead of handing her off for a beneficial union as was customary, he instead consults her and asks what she desires instead. She wants no suitor, to which the Bamboo-Cutter and his wife support her decision. The suitors go on wild quests to prove their affection and all fail. Even the Emperor himself becomes enraptured by her and orders the Bamboo-Cutter to bring her to his court. The Bamboo-Cutter's daughter refuses, and is in turn supported by her adoptive parents who refuse the Emperor. The Emperor, enraged, barges in the daughter's room only to be so stunned by her beauty that he leaves, wishing to impose no more. The daughter afterward reveals to her parents that she is, in fact, a divine being who once resided on the moon and was cast out for some unremembered sin she once committed. Soon, her people will come to forcefully reclaim her. She does not wish to return, wishing to stay with her adoptive parents and their humble way of living. But there is no hope of her staying, for no one can resist the Divine and their presence.
The ending of the story I'll leave out, hoping that if you aren't encouraged to read this massive volume of classic Japanese literature, that you would at least look up a translation of the Bamboo-Cutter and read the story for yourself. It's quite possibly one of my favorite fairy tales now.
Did I read everything this anthology has to offer? No, but I will continue to read from time to time and hopefully find more gems to enjoy.
June 28, 2017
Took my time reading this, and I suppose it's the sort of book you never really finish, but I was looking for a comprehensive book on early japanese lit. This hits the mark. Terrific collection. Some of the joke/story/moral fable pieces pieces were my favorite. "the dog pillow book" by Inu Makura and "Today's tales of yesterday" these parodies I suppose they could be called are really cool. And bizarre. The Tokugawa period was a time of peace and prosperity in Japan after a long brutal bloody clan war. With the island finally united under one leader and enjoying peace literature exploded. Everyone carried around journals. Highly developed roads were packed with travelers, exploring the country writing everything down. A highly literate society.
Of 1 story sticks out. The woman who cut off her nose. Brief. Husband is dying. He asks his wife to cut off her nose to prove she will never take another lover. She honors his wish. Remarkably he recovers. Soon after, he takes his wife and confess her face is so hideous he wants out. She is aghast and petitions he court. The judges decide he should lose his nose and that live happily ever after.
The hand puppet theatre stuff I skipped. But the romance fiction stories, and illustrated comics were engaging.
Love the book. Made me wish for a time machine to explore the Tokugawa period
Of 1 story sticks out. The woman who cut off her nose. Brief. Husband is dying. He asks his wife to cut off her nose to prove she will never take another lover. She honors his wish. Remarkably he recovers. Soon after, he takes his wife and confess her face is so hideous he wants out. She is aghast and petitions he court. The judges decide he should lose his nose and that live happily ever after.
The hand puppet theatre stuff I skipped. But the romance fiction stories, and illustrated comics were engaging.
Love the book. Made me wish for a time machine to explore the Tokugawa period
January 11, 2019
I'm not a specialist in Japanese literature, but I really enjoyed this volume and found it to be (again, from limited experience) very well edited. The introduction and notes are good for someone who has little experience with the literature. I found it very accessible and with a breadth of genres that helped me understand the aesthetic movements and history of Japanese literature.
August 29, 2020
Classic Japanese Literature anthology you find in every uni's reading lists for a reason. Gives you a good overview of all the literary trends from those centuries without overwhelming the reader with historical context.
November 13, 2024
read anthology for class ! Favorite sections were “the pillow book” and noh play “shrine in the fields.”
August 4, 2016
Interesting compilation that seems to offer a very round anthology of the era up until the 16th century. I have only read the thoughts on literary compilations and history so far, but I look forward to the poems and prose as well. (The rating so far is for Shirane Haruo's thoughts on literary canon formation, his analysis of genres etc.)
Want to Read
September 11, 2009Alex is reading this anthology.
May 5, 2011
This book was very interesting because there were a lot of unique poems that have been translated and I think these poems are very meaningful.
April 22, 2014
Professor Shirane's anthology is exquisite and essential for anyone seriously interested in classical Japanese literature.
Read
April 15, 2022Don’t read the abridged 2012 version
"Momotaro, The Son of a Peach", "The Jellyfish and the Monkey", "The Mirror of Matsuyama”, "The Stones of Five Colors and the Empress Jokwa.
"Momotaro, The Son of a Peach", "The Jellyfish and the Monkey", "The Mirror of Matsuyama”, "The Stones of Five Colors and the Empress Jokwa.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews