Japanese Literature

Japan is an East Asian country comprising a chain of islands between the North Pacific
Ocean and the Sea of Japan, at the eastern coast off the Asian Korean
Peninsula. There are four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

 Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia and comprises one of
the major literatures in the world, comparable to English literature in age and
scope. It comprises a number of genres, including novels, poetry, and drama,
travelogues, personal diaries and collections of random thoughts and
impressions.
 Japan adopted its writing system from China, often using Chinese characters to
represent Japanese words with similar phonetic sounds.

The modern Japanese writing system uses:

• Kanji, ideographs from Chinese characters

• Kana, a pair of syllabaries, consisting of

 Hiragana, used for native Japanese words, and

 Katakana, used for foreign loanwords and sometimes to replace kanji or hiragana
for emphasis.

Japanese Literature is generally divided into four main periods: Ancient, Medieval,
Classical and Modern.

Ancient literature (Until 794)

Before the introduction of kanji from China, there was no writing system in Japan. At
first, Chinese characters were used in Japanese syntactical formats, and the literary
language was classical Chinese; resulting in sentences that looked like Chinese but
were phonetically read as Japanese. Chinese characters were used, not for their
meanings, but because they had a phonetic sound which resembled a Japanese word.
Modification of the normal usage of Chinese characters to accommodate Japanese
names and expressions is already evident in the oldest known inscription, on a sword
dating from about 440 C.E. The use of Chinese characters initiated a centuries-long
association of literary composition with the art of calligraphy.

Classical literature (894 - 1194; the Heian period)

Classical Japanese literature generally refers to literature produced during the Heian
period, referred to as the golden era of art and literature. During this time, the imperial
court patronized poets, many of whom were courtiers or ladies-in-waiting. Editing
anthologies of poetry was a national pastime. Reflecting the aristocratic atmosphere,
the poetry was elegant and sophisticated and expressed emotions in a rhetorical style.

Medieval Literature (1195 - 1600)

Medieval Japanese Literature is marked by the strong influence of Zen Buddhism, and
many writers were priests, travelers, or ascetic poets. Also, during this period, Japan
experienced many civil wars which led to the development of a warrior class, and a
widespread interest in war tales, histories, and related stories. Work from this period is
notable for its insights into life and death, simple lifestyles, and redemption through
killing.

Early-Modern Literature (1600-1868)

The literature of this time was written during the generally peaceful Tokugawa Period
(commonly referred to as the Edo Period). Due in large part to the rise of the working
and middle classes in the new capital of Edo (modern Tokyo), forms of popular drama
developed which would later evolve into kabuki. Many genres of literature made their
début during the Edo Period, inspired by a rising literacy rate among the growing
population of townspeople, as well as the development of lending libraries.
Characteristics of Japanese Literature

Japanese literature can be difficult to read and understand, because in many ways the
written Japanese reflects certain peculiarities of the spoken language. Statements are
often ambiguous, omitting as unnecessary the particles of speech which would normally
identify words as the subject or object of a sentence, or using colloquial verb forms from
a specific region or social class. Special language used to depict gender, age, social
status, or regional origins is often the only clue as to who is speaking or being spoken
about in a sentence. In many cases the significance of a simple sentence can only be
understood by someone who is familiar with the cultural or historical background of the
work.

The following literatures are discussed in the succeeding parts:

 Haiku and Tanka

 The Happy Mirror
 The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki
 The Zen Story (Obedience)

Japanese Poetry

Japanese poetry is a poetry written or spoken in Japanese language. Japanese lyric

poetry such as Haiku and Tanka are now widespread to the world and enjoyed by many
non-Japanese practitioners. “Manyoshu”, the oldest collection of Japanese poems
from 8th century, more than 4,500 poems were recorded. In the collection, there are
varied poems from the emperors to commons, and you can see the lifestyles of the day.

Haiku

The most famous poetry of Japan. Haiku (俳句) is a very short form of Japanese poetry.
It is consisted of three phrases of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Haiku was originally part of
“Renka” (series of poems), which was a style of Japanese poetry that certain number of
persons making one long poem in combination.

Main Principles of Haiku

Haiku Meter and Measurement

Haiku is comprised of 3 phrases. First phrase is with 5syllables, second phrase is with 7
syllables, and last phrase is with again 5 syllables. These phrases with certain numbers
of syllables produce distinctive and attractive rhythm of Haiku poetry.

Seasonal word

In Haiku poem, it is necessary to put the seasonal references called Kigo (seasonal
word) or Kidai (seasonal topic). It is said that seasonal references are one of the most
important elements of Haiku poetry. The seasonal word is usually extracted from the
“Saijiki” which is the extensive dictionary of seasonal words.

Cutting word

Kireji (cutting word) is also an essence of Haiku. Kireji expresses the moment of
separation of two images or ideas in the poem. By inserting Kireji in the Haiku, you can
feel a rest and that leads the imagination of hidden emotion and background of the
poem.

Examples of Haiku

1.古池や (fu-ru-i-ke-ya) Old Pond

蛙飛込む (ka-wa-zu-to-bi-ko-mu) Frog leaps in

水の音 (mi-zu–no -o-to) Water’s sound

Literal Translation

Fu-ru (old) i-ke (pond) ya,

ka-wa-zu (frog) to-bi-ko-mu (jumping into)

mi-zu (water) no o-to (sound)

Author

Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) was born in the town of Ueno in Iga Province (in what is
now western Mie Prefecture). He was one of the greatest Japanese poets. He elevated
haiku to the level of serious poetry in numerous anthologies and travel diaries.

Persona

The poem “Old Pond”, by Matsuo Basho, uses a third person limited point of view.

Mood and Atmosphere

The poem has a realistic mood wherein it objectively describes the frog jumping and
produces sound in the water.

Imagery

There are three images in this haiku. One is a static image of an old pond. The second
one is a dynamic image of a frog jumping into the pond. And last, there is an auditory
image presenting the sound that is generated from a leaping frog.

Symbolisms

Old pond – peace of mind

Frog – feeling of disturbance

Sound of Water – effects of the disturbance

Theme

The theme of the poem is merely about nature. It is all about spring season, because,
generally, in Asia, the frog is associated with the Monsoon season. The theme that
Basho is trying to communicate to us is that whenever there is peace, there will always
be chaos that has yet to occur. When the frog jumped in, it had a reason because frogs
are usually creatures that live in pond. Basho probably wants to tell us that the frog was
supposed to disrupt the peace that the pond has.

Figurative Language

Personification

 Old Pond
Onomatopoeia

 Water sound

2.殺した後

蜘蛛、なんて寂しい

寒い夜に！

After killing

a spider, how lonely I feel

in the cold of night!

Masaoka Shiki

Author

Masaoka Shiki (September 17, 1867 – September 19, 1902) was a Japanese author,
poet, critic, journalist, and essayist, founder of the Japanese literary magazine
Hototogisu and patron to a number of young poets, who played a leading role in the
revival of the traditional waka and haiku forms of Japanese poetry.

Persona

First person point of view. Wherein the persona sound as though he’s in desperate
need of company or of something that can ease his pain.

Mood and Atmosphere

The mood is solemn and considerate. Readers are meant to walk away, reconsidering
the value of all life, human or spider—the speaker’s suffering increases due to a violent
action he took against another living thing.

Imagery

The use of the words “lonely” and “cold of night.” These two states are related to one
another and are likely easily imagined by anyone encountering the lines of ‘After Killing
a Spider.’ It’s easy to relate one to the next and then to the image of the spider.

Symbolisms

After killing – Dark state of mind

How lonely I feel, in the cold of night - regret

Themes

Throughout ‘After Killing a Spider,’ the poet engages with themes of the value of life and
loneliness. After killing a spider, the speaker is made far lonelier than he was to begin. It
seems obvious that prior to the death, he was already feeling the effects of solitude, but
after the killing, things are worse. He’s in a state that is “cold” and “dark.” Through the
three lines of the poem, it feels as though he’s been there for a while and perhaps
doesn’t know the way out.

Figurative Language

Oxymoron

 After killing
a spider, how lonely I feel
in the cold of night!
3. 書く、消す、書き直す

もう一度消去してから

ポピーの花。

I write, erase, rewrite

Erase again, and then

A poppy bloom.

Katsushika Hokusai

Author

A follower of Basho, Hokusai is another of the Japanese haiku poets who mastered the
art form. In addition to writing haiku, he was also a famous Japanese painter and
printmaker. His best-known painting was “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa”.

Persona

The poet uses a first-person point of view.

Mood and Atmosphere

It sets in a spring and gives us the idea of fragility of the world that we live in.

Imagery

Imagery can be seen in the last line when the poet describes the “poppy” blooming. This
image, which is juxtaposed against the previous two lines, is a beautiful one.

Symbolisms

“I write, erase, rewrite

Erase again” - this symbolizes humans making mistakes

A poppy bloom – new beginning

Theme

Throughout ‘A Poppy Blooms,’ Hokusai engages with themes of creativity and writing as
well as nature and life. The poet brings these two sides together through a few simple
words, equating his writing process to the way that nature works, sometimes fails, and
then a beautiful poppy is brought forth into the world. It takes a great deal of
perseverance to get to this point, as the repetition of “write” and “erase” signal. He has
to work through this process of writing and failing in order to get to his desired end goal.

Figurative language

Repetition

 The poet uses words like “erase” and “write” multiple times, evoking a feeling of
creation.

Metaphor

 In this case, the poet creates a metaphor comparing writing to the flowers
blooming.

4. 私が触れるすべて

優しさで、悲しいかな、

ブランブルのように刺す

Everything I touch
with tenderness, alas,
pricks like a bramble

Kobayashi Issa

Author

Kobayashi Issa was a Japanese poet and lay Buddhist priest of the Jōdo Shinshū. He is
known for his haiku poems and journals. He is better known as simply Issa (一茶), a pen
name meaning “Cup-of-tea”. He is regarded as one of the four haiku masters in Japan,
along with Bashō, Buson and Shiki — "the Great Four.

Persona

First person point of view

Mood and Atmosphere

The mood is pessimistic and sympathetic. The reader might feel pity for the speaker
when they finish the poem and perhaps even share in his pessimism about love and
connection.

Imagery

Imagery: occurs when the poet uses particularly vibrant imagery. These images should
appeal to the reader’s senses, inspiring them to hear, smell, taste, touch, etc. For
example, “pricks like a bramble.”

Symbolisms

Everything I touch

With tenderness – His relationship

Pricks like a bramble – Pain or rejection

Themes

Throughout ‘Everything I touch,’ the poet engages with themes of connection and pain.
When seeking for the former, he always receives the latter. His speaker is resigned to
the fact that no matter how gentle his touch is or how tender his words, he’s going to be
pricked as though he’s touched a bramble. This is a complex, figurative way of saying
that when he tries to love someone, he receives pain in return. That love is not shared
back with him.

Figurative Language

Simile
  Pricks like a bramble

5. 淡い月明かりの下で

藤の香り

遠くから来ます

In pale moonlight

the wisteria’s scent

comes from far away.

Yosa Buson

Author

Yosa Buson was a Japanese poet and painter of the Edo period. Along with Matsuo
Bashō and Kobayashi Issa, Buson is considered among the greatest poets of the Edo
Period. And, he is known for completing haiga as a style of art.

Persona

The poet takes on the persona experiencing the beauty and simplicity of natural world.

Mood and Atmosphere

The mood is contemplative, and again, peaceful. It sets in a calm atmosphere. The
reader should be transported to the scene the speaker briefly describes. They may also
find themselves wondering what the wisteria represents and how the speaker is feeling
about it.

Imagery

In this haiku, the words like “pale” and “moonlight” help create a specific image. This is
added to “wisteria’s scent,” which should trigger the reader’s senses.

Symbolisms

Pale moonlight – a place of complete, not too bright and peaceful.

Wisteria – memory

Themes

Throughout ‘In the moonlight,’ the poet engages with themes of nature and memory.

Atmosphere: it is the overall feeling that the poem creates. Its atmosphere might be

Figurative Language

Allusion

 Pale moonlight

Tanka

The oldest form of poetry of Japan. Tanka (短歌) is another form of Japanese poetry. It
is consisting of five phrases of 5, 7, 5, 7 and 7 syllables. This 31-syllable poem has
been a popular form of poetry in Japan for more than 1300 years. As a form of poetry,
Tanka is much older than Haiku, and Tanka evokes a moment with concision and
musicality.

Main Principles of Tanka

Tanka Meter and Measurement

A tanka is a 31-syllable poem. It is known as the oldest form of Japanese poetry. The
poem will be five lines with the first line having five syllables, the second having seven
syllables, the third having five, and then the fourth and fifth lines having seven syllables.
Tankas, like sonnets, have two primary parts:

 Kami-no-ku (upper poem): In the upper poem, the speaker examines a topic or
image.
 Shimo-no-ku (lower poem): In the lower poem, the speaker responds to this
image and gives their thoughts. This turn happens between the 3rd and 4th line.
The lower poem is the last two lines.
Themes

The theme of Tanka can be anything from love poems to depictions of everyday life,
social issues, children’s growth, stories and, fantasies. It is very free poetry; the only
rule is to make it in the form of five phrases. Also, there is no rule that Tanka must enter
season words like haiku.

Examples of Tanka

1. 砂丘の砂の上に横たわる

この日思い出します

リモートで

私の初恋の苦悶

Lying on the dune sand

this day I recall

remotely

the anguish of my first love"

Author

Poet Takuboku Ishikawa was born in 1882 in the Iwate prefecture of Japan. He dropped
out of school at 16 to become a poet and is touted as a master of tanka poetry. He
published his first collection of poems at 19 and moved to Tokyo in 1908 to become a
part of the bustling literary scene. Sadly, he died young, at the age of 30, from
tuberculosis.
Persona

Takuboku Ishikawa takes on the persona of someone lying on the dune sand while
recalling remotely the anguish of his first love.

Mood and Atmosphere

Thinking his first love gives the atmosphere of sadness and suffering.

Imagery

The poem engages with the image of lying and the dune sand. These triggers the
readers sense of sight that makes them imagine the image of a person lying on the
dune sand.

Symbolism

Dune sand is used to describe suffering and pain.

Theme

Love, passion and nature.

Figurative Language

Hyperbole

 “I recall remotely the anguish of my first love"

2. お湯

放棄されたやかん

ゆっくりと冷える

まだ恨みを持っている

冷たい水の」
The hot water in

the abandoned kettle

slowly cools

still carrying the resentment

of colder water”

Author

Poet Tada Chimako was born in 1930 in Fukuoka, Japan. She spent most of her
childhood in Tokyo, in the midst of World War 11. Chimako graduated from Tokyo
Women’s Christian University, where she studied French literature. Then she moved on
to Keio University to continue her degree in literature. She was a critically acclaimed
writer, including haiku and tanka poetry.

Persona

The poet here takes someone who change from being hot to cold, it means a person
who change differently.

Mood and Atmosphere

The mood is lonely as it was abandoned, and sets in an isolated place.

Imagery

There is a visual image of a kettle and with hot water inside of it.

Theme

It is about someone still carrying resentment from the past experienced

Symbolism

Abandoned Kettle – symbolizes something being left behind

Figurative Language

Personification

 ‘Still carrying the resentment of colder water’

3. 日がわからない

私の痛みはまだ終わります

小さな庭で

植えてもらいました

秋の花の種

I do not know the day

my pain will end yet

in the little garden

I had them plant

seeds of autumn flowers

Author

In 1867, Masaoka Shiki was born in the Ehime Prefecture in Japan to a samurai class
family. His maternal grandfather was a Confucian scholar. Although Shiki was a major
figure in the development of haiku poetry, he also wrote extensively on the reform of
tanka poetry.

Persona

The poet uses first person point of view, and takes on the persona of someone who was
waiting for the day his pain will end.

Mood and Atmosphere

It depicts a gloomy and ominous atmosphere.

Imagery

There are two images in this tanka, one is the image of someone waiting for his pain to
end, and another is an image of a little garden, which the speaker planted a seed of
autumn flowers that symbolically talks about an ending.

Symbolism

Autumn – symbolizes dying

Theme

Death and nature.

Figurative Language

Symbolism

 “I had them plant seeds of autumn flowers”

“The Happy Mirror” A Japanese Folktale

Summary of the Story

 There was a small family in Japan, there lived a father, mother and their little
daughter, and their place was called Matsuyama, in the province of Echigo
 One day, a messenger came telling to the father that he was called by the
emperor to go in Tokyo. And, that time his father needs to walk because there’s
no other transportation.
 The mother and daughter left in their house, and always praying for the good of
father.
 One morning, the father came home and bring a gift for his wife and for his
daughter.
 The daughter received a beautiful doll and a box full of cakes. While the wife
received a mirror.
 It was her first time seeing a mirror and she was amazed because she saw
someone who is lovely while looking at her. His husband said,” All the ladies in
Tokyo have them. If you bring a smiling face in the mirror, you will see a smiling
face in the mirror. If you are cross, you will see an angry face.”
 By then, the mother promised to always bring a happy face in the mirror.
 As years went by, the little girl turned into a woman like the image of her mother.
 One day, the mother took a wooden box and gave it to her daughter. The
daughter saw the mirror inside the wooden box and said while looking to it, “It
looks like you mother when you we’re young.” The mother replied, “Be sure to
smile when you look at me and I will smile back at you.”
 From that day on, the good daughter kept the box and once a year she would
open it, and she never forgot to bring smile to the mirror and every time it always
smiled back at her.

Characters
  Father- a loving husband and father.
 Mother- a good and loving wife; a good example to her daughter.
 Daughter- a good daughter to her parents; look like exactly as her mother.
 Messenger- the one who delivered the message to the father.
 Emperor- the one who send the messenger and request the father.

Atmosphere and Mood

 The story has simple and smooth settings. It was full of love and affection to each
other.

Symbolism

 The story about “The Happy Mirror” gives a positive values and confident
attitudes.
 The father symbolizes of how hardworking they are, how they lead their family to
give them a good life, and shows example.
 The mother shows how she want her daughter to become someday, she set a
good example, and the daughter follow her mother positive values.

Figurative Language

 Personification- The mirror smiled back at her.

Connection

 Text to text: In the story, when the husband told his wife, that if she brings a
smiling face in the mirror, she will see a smiling face, and if she was cross, she
will see a cross face in it. It gives meaning of the other quote from “The
Analects,’; “Don’t do unto the others what you want others to do unto you” –
Confucius
 Text to person: The story reminds me about my parents. They keep on being
hardworking to provide for our family, they keep on teaching and guiding us to
become a good and better person
  Text to the world: The Happy Mirror story, conveys the message about being in
a good society. As an individual who are belong on that particular community, all
we do in our everyday life also reflects in our society or environments where we
lived.

Culture, Customs, Tradition

 The Japanese culture is ancient and is filled with rites and traditions to honor the
family.
 The father and mother serve as the model for their child. The father as a good
provider, left his family because the emperor told him to do so.

Themes, Lessons, Universal Truth

 Themes: Everything we do reflect to what kind of person we are.

 Lessons: Do good and the world will also be good to you similarly, do bad and
the world will be bad to you.
 Universal Truth:
 Confucius’ teaching: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to
others.”
 Jesus’ teaching: “A man reaps what he sows”

Expression of Storms and Stress

 Reality is like in the story, where our father or mother needs to go or leave to
earned for the family, that’s why we have many Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW)
here in the Philippines and it also goes with the workers within our country, and
was same with the story of “The Happy Mirror” sometimes our loved ones need
to leave to give us a good life.

*The story is in the third person point of view because the story is not told by a
character but by an “invisible author,” using the third person pronoun (he, she, or it) to
tell the story.
The Tale of Genji also known as Genji Monogatari by Murasaki Shikibu

A masterpiece of Japanese literature that was written at the beginning of the 11th
century and generally considered as the world’s first novel.

The Tale of Genji captures the image of a unique society of ultra-refined and elegant
aristocrats, whose indispensable accomplishments were skill in poetry,
music, calligraphy and courtship. Much of it is concerned with the loves of Prince Genji
and the different women in his life, all of whom are exquisitely delineated.

Characters

 Genji (Hikaru Genji/ the Shining Genji/ the Shining Prince) - the emperor’s
exalted son. He is given the nickname "The Shining One" by a fortune-teller, and
the apt moniker stays with him throughout his life.
 The emperor - Genji's father. He is referred to later in the book as the Old
Emperor.
 Kiritsubo - the emperor’s concubine and the mother of Genji. She dies from
complications related to depression when Genji is a child.
 Kokiden - the emperor’s consort and referred to by Genji as his wicked
stepmother.
 Suzaku - Genji's half-brother, the son of Kokiden.
 Fujitsubo - the mistress of the emperor and later becomes Empress. She is the
mother of Genji's son Ryozen.
 Aoi - Genji's first wife who dies during the birth of Yugiri. Aoi and Genji's
marriage is arranged when she is 16 and he is 12 years old.
 Murasaki - adopted by Genji at the age of eight. She is his second wife.
 Lady of Akashi - courted by Genji during his self-imposed exile, and he brings
her back to Kyoto after his return to the capital. She is the mother of Genji's only
daughter Akashi.
  Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers - one of Genji's mistresses. She is in
charge of Yugiri's upbringing after Aoi's death.
 Oborozukiyo - Kokiden's sister and the consort of the emperor Suzaku. She is
loved by Genji, and their affair results in Genji's banishment from Kyoto.
 Ryozen - the son of Genji and Fujitsubo but believed to be the son of the Old
Emperor and Fujitsubo.
 Yugiri - Genji and Aoi's son. He becomes Genji's confidant and manages Genji's
estates after his death.
 Akashi - the daughter of Genji and the Lady of Akashi.
 Minister of the Left - Aoi's father and is proud to have Genji as a son-in-law. He
and Genji remain close even after Aoi's death.
 Minister of the Right - Kokiden and Oborozukiyo's father who has secured a
position for Oborozukiyo as a consort of Suzaku. He catches Genji in bed with
Oborozukiyo.
 Kiritsubo's mother - Kiritsubo's mother cares for her dying daughter and takes
care of Genji for several years after Kiritsubo's death.
 The narrator - The narrator is the author Murasaki Shikibu. She occasionally
interjects herself as a first-person, omniscient storyteller.

Atmosphere and Mood

The story used a predominately neutral one.

Symbolisms

 Genji is primarily a male name of Japanese origin that means source, heal, and
peace.
 Murasaki is the Japanese word for the color purple. In Japanese poetry it
denotes love and constancy.
 Aristocratic women conceal themselves behind screens and fans in an attempt
to have some control over their privacy and destinies.
 The natural cycle of seasons apart from the phenomena of weather symbolizes
the disposition and actions of characters in The Tale of Genji.
Figurative Language

Personification

"And the cords sang their sorrow".

Simile

“Genji’s looks had an indescribably fresh sweetness, one beyond even Fujitsubo’s
celebrated and, to the emperor, peerless beauty, and this moved people to call him as
the Shining Lord.”

Metaphor

An important moment for Genji is the ceremony which takes place when he turns 11
years old. During the ceremony, Genji’s hair is cut for the first time while everyone
stands by and watches.

Culture, Custom, Tradition

 The Tale of Genji illustrates how women are disadvantaged and disempowered

by the laws and customs of the world they live in, while also suggesting that by
either subverting those customs or very carefully cultivating the affections of
powerful men, women can find a modicum of control over their own lives.

 All of the women in Genji are expected to keep themselves hidden from men
other than their fathers and husbands. They do this by conducting their lives from
behind screens or curtains and communicating with men primarily via written
poetry passed back and forth with the help of messengers.
Connections

 Text to Text
The Tale of Genji reminds the famous book “The Feminine Mystique by
Betty Friedan," which also depicts the struggles around societal
assumptions about what could be the only paths to fulfilling women's
happiness (housework, marriage, and children); these ideas persisted
because women weren't talking to each other about their unhappiness out
of fear of being discredited or shamed.
 Text to Person
Emphasizes the sense of appearance over reality, reserved
politeness and keen aesthetic sensibility that flourished in the Heian
court but still a major part of the culture today that allows to step outside
from the own culture and see it from a fresh, new perspective.
 Text to World
In Kyoto, the city known for its shrines, temples and blazing autumn hills,
is celebrating the millennial anniversary of Murasaki Shikibu’s episodic
story of love and loss among the imperial set. Across Japan, the
anniversary has been marked by music festivals, parades, a
chrysanthemum-doll competition and a hairstyle show featuring looks
popular in Lady Murasaki’s time. In Kyoto, the festivities have included
“Genji”-themed poetry readings, moon-viewings and even performance
art.

Expression of storms and stress

At present disputes and cheating in marriage are commonplace stories and still gender
equality is also sometimes neglected. This was shown in the novel by the character of
Genji, in which he cheated on his wife Aoi by having relationship with Fujitsubo, the
mistress of his father and also many other Ladies.
Theme, Lesson, Universal Truth

Theme

Love, lust, interaction of members of the opposing sexes, friendship, filial loyalty, and
family bonds.

Lessons

Love isn’t about the desire of having sex for many women or about the struggle to
conquer all pretty women. But love must be kept with a woman you love forever.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

~ 1 Peter 4:8

Zen Story

 Zen stories are the ancient words and deeds of Zen masters, which have been
passed through the ages, crossing the dynasties and cultures of forgotten
peoples, originating with the Buddha himself.
 The insights that these stories seeded, as time rolled on, flowered into invaluable
instructions for those wanting to reach liberation.
 Zen stories tend to be humorous, paradoxical, multi-layered, enigmatic, and
written in a kind of rascally spirit. They’re tantalizing riddles that are sure to
puzzle and captivate most anyone.

Zen Story – Obedience

The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all
ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations.
Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.
His large audience angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left
to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to
have a debate with Bankei.

"Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what
you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said Bankei.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The priest obeyed.

"No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

The priest proudly stepped over to the right.

"You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle
person. Now sit down and listen."

Characters

 Bankei - a well-known and highly respected Zen teacher, who was

posthumously given the title Kokushi, or National Master. He never quoted
sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were
spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.
 Nichiren priest - he is described as self-centered who came to the temple,
determined to have a debate with Bankei.

Setting

At the temple
Plot

This story focuses on how Master Bankei discovers the obedience and gentleness deep
within the proud Nichiren priest.

Exposition - The master Bankei’s talks were attended not only by Zen students but by
persons of all ranks and sects.

Rising Action - His large audiences angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the
adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the
temple, determined to debate with Bankei.

Climax - “Hey, Zen teacher!” he called out. “Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will
obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey
you?” “Come up beside me and I will show you,” said Bankei.

Falling Action - Bankei smiled. “Come over to my left side.”

The priest obeyed. “No,” said Bankei, “we may talk better if you are on the right side.
Step over here.” The priest proudly stepped over to the right.

Resolution - “You see,” observed Bankei, “you are obeying me and I think you are a
very gentle person. Now sit down and listen.”

Theme

- Obedience

- Discover your own gentleness. Gentleness to oneself, gentleness outward.

Symbolisms

The priest symbolizes the nature of people. We become disobedient once we are mad.
Connections:

 Text to Text: "Whoever respect you will obey what you say" it is like what Edwin
Louis Cole say about obedience, "Obedience is an act of faith and respect;
Disobedience is the result of unbelief."

 Text to Person: We obey our parents because we respect and trust them.

 Text to World: The story wants to show us that our government as they set rules
for the country, we tend to obey the rules, even if we do not want to.

Family and Societal Issue

Family

There are instances that we forget to respect and obey our parents or any family
member whenever we had an argument. It becomes very hard for us to obey them
because we are blinded by the feelings of madness.

Society

Obedience is required for our society to function. Yet because of the power of authority,
individuals may obey in whatever ways they wanted. But one of the issues to society
when it comes to obedience, is that, some people nowadays, do not obey and follow the
rules that the government are trying to impose. If we all practice an act of obedience we
may live in a peaceful and harmless society.

Universal Truth

“By learning to obey, you will know how to command” Italian Proverb
References

Haiku and Tanka

 https://poemanalysis.com/haiku/in-the-moonlight/
 https://www.masterpiece-of-japanese-culture.com/literatures-and-poems/
japanese-tanka-poetry-famous-poems
 https://www.haiku-poetry.org/famous-haiku.html
 https://doyouknowjapan.com/poetry/

“The Happy Mirror”

https://shastine.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/the-happy-mirror-a-japanese-folklore-
literary-analysis/

“The Tale of Genji”

 https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Tale-of-Genji/symbols/
 https://www.iz2.or.jp/english/what/index.htm
 https://www.gradesaver.com/the-tale-of-genji/study-guide/literary-elements

Zen Story – Obedience

 https://www.viewonbuddhism.org/resources/zen_stories.html
 https://www.patheos.com/library/zen