Japanese Literature and Quiz

JAPANESE LITERATURE

- “Home of the Rising Sun”

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Nippon- “ The source of the Sun”

JAPANESE LITERATURE

- “Home of the Rising Sun”

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Nippon- “ The source of the Sun”

JAPANESE NATIONAL FLAG

Red disc

 –the

rising sun

FOUR MAIN ISLANDS 

Honshu (largest )

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Hokkaido

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Shikoku

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Kyushu

Characteristics of the Japanese 1.Polite

2.Dignified 3.Clean 4.Industrious 5.Disciplined 6.Highly nationalistic

BOOKS OF THE JAPAN'S ORIGIN 

Kojiki

- (record of ancient matters) 記

Nihongi -(chronicles of Japan)紀

Three parts of Kojiki 

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Kamitsumaki(“Upper roll” )-deities of creation & various deities. Nakatsumaki(“Middle roll” )-story of 1st Emperor Jimmu until Emperor Ojin Shimotsumaki(“Lower roll” )- 16th to 33rd emperor.

Gods and Goddess 

Izanagi -(God )

Izanami -(Goddess)

Gods and Goddess 

 Amaterasu

-(Sun goddess)

Gods and Goddess Tsukiyomi – god of moon Susa-No-Wo- god of storms Aji-Suki-Taka-Hi-Kone - god of thunder Amatsu Mikaboshi - god of evil Bishamon - god of happiness and war Chimata-No-Kami - god of crossroads, highways and footpaths Hiruko - solar god Ho-Masubi - god of fire Inari - god of rice (foxes are his messangers) Kagu-Zuchi - god of fire Kawa-no-Kami - god of rivers Kura-Okami - god of rain - god of earthquakes Nai-No-Kami - god of sorcery and medicine O-Kuni-Nushi O-Wata-Tsu-Mi - god of the sea Susa-No-Wo - god of storms and thunder, snakes and farming. Shina-Tsu-Hiko - god of wind Taka-Okami - god of rain 

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Gods and Goddess

Religion 

Shinto - (way of gods) -Kami-no-Michi 神の道 -ancient religion -worship of spirits (Kami )

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Shintoism – teaches the superiority of the Japanese race & divine origin of the emperor.

Forms of Shinto 

Koshitsu Shinto

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Jinja (Shrine) Shinto

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Kyoha (Sectarian) Shinto

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Minzoku (Folk) Shinto

(The Shinto of the Imperial House)

Moral teaching of Shintoism

“Honor the gods and be loyal to ancestors”

"Four Affirmations"in Shinto

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Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage.

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Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the Gods. Natural objects are worshiped as sacred spirits.

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Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth often.

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"Matsuri": The worship and honor given to the Kami and ancestral spirits.

Shinto Customs and Symbols

Shinto Rituals

 Shinto Purification Rituals Spreading puifying salt

Matsuri

Shinto Good Luck

 Buddhism 

Buddhism

- Zen Buddhism

1. Refined Japanese manners and morale.

2. Stimulated the growth of Japanese writing and literature. 3.Enriched Japanese art and music .

Isolationism 

Isolationism- (1868)

-it closed all doors to western influenced and work . Shogun iyemitsu issued a famous decree of 1939 closing Japan to world.

Warrior Class in Japan

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Samurai

Warrior Class in Japan 

Shogun

Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun (1192 –1199) of the Kamakura shogunate

Warrior Class in Japan 

Military cliques

- Nobunaga - Hideyoshi - Iyeyasu

Hara-kiri

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Hara-kiri – failed one's duty to fight & disobeyed “Daimyo” - local lord

JAPANESE LITERATURE 1)Tanka –(Short poem) 31 syllable poem 5-line poem

2)Naga-uta (long poem) 3)Tale of Genji – by Lady Komachi Shikibu bestknown fiction

4)Haiku - 17 syllables in 3 lines of five , 7 and 5 syllables

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Previously called hokku

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Masaoka Shiki

Example of Tanka Beautiful mountains Rivers with cold, cold water. White cold snow on rocks Trees over the place with frost White sparkly snow everywhere.

Example of Haiku Oh that summer moon! It made me go wandering

round the pond all night  –Basho

Requirements of the Hiaku 

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It must one of the 4 seasons It must purely be objective description, sentiments left for the reader.

It must depict the external beauties of nature.

Japan's contribution to civilization 1)Bushido or code of chivalry

2)Shinto religion 3)Kana alphabet 4)kabuki(classical play) 5)Tanka 6)cha-no-yu(tea- drinking) 7)Ikebana (flower arragement)

Japanese writers 1.Saikaku Basho- best known poet in Haiku

2.Lady Murasaki Shikibu  – fiction – E.A. Poe 3.Yasunari Kawabata 4.Yukio Mishima – “Ernest Hemmingway” 5.Matsuo Basho – greatest Haiku Poet

JAPANESE DRAMA 

Drama – favorite form of amusement in Japan 3 TYPES OF DRAMA

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Noh Play - is national theater of Japan

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Joruri or Puppet play  – doll theater

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Kabuki – is play for the masses.

3 TYPES OF DRAMA 

Noh Play

Zeami - the Father of Noh Theater

3 TYPES OF DRAMA 

Puppet play-(doll theater)

3 TYPES OF DRAMA 

Kabuki

1) _____chronicles of Japan. 2) _____about the deities and divine origin of the Japanese. 3) _____They were considered as the ancient god of the Jap. 4) _____ She was the sun goddess. 5) _____way of gods. 6) _____is the oldest religion of the Japanese. 7) _____It was the moral teaching of Shintoism. 8) _____An 1868 practice in Japan of banning the influences of the Weste culture. 9) _____It is the shortest Japanese poem. 10) ___ He is the master of Haiku.

1. ____It is the fighting force of the Japanese warrior class. 2._____She is the “Edgar Allan Poe” of Japan. 3._____total number of syllables of Tanka. 4._____It is the national theater of Japanese drama. 5._____It is the common subject of Japanese poetry. . Enumerate: -3 Requirements of a Haiku -5 Japanese writers