Novels, Short stories

and Plays in Japanese

Literature

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Novels

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The Tale of Genji
(Genji Monogatari)
By: Murasaki Shikibu (one of the
women authors)

The tale of Genji, tells the story

of Prince Genji. The novel
carefully twists through his
depressing and often tragic love
affairs. When Genji dies, the tale
switches focus to his son.
All the while the novel carries a
soft, melancholy and
psychological tone that
emphasizes the passage of time.
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 Heian Period
 54 chapters
 Hikaru Genji
 Had numerous affairs
 His beloved Murasaki-no-ue passed
away
 Kaoru

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The Pillow Book
The Pillow Book was a diary made by
Sei Shonagon.
It contains excerpts that reveal the
importance of social rank and Japanese
aristocracy placed on official title
during Shonagon’s time.
It includes a number of lists, such as a
list of things that Sei Shonagon finds
hateful and a list of things that you find
hateful and a list of your favorite
activities.
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 Heian Period
 Diary
 Accidental revelation
 Composed in Japanese
Hiragana

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The Pillow Book excerpt
[241] Things that just keep
passing by
A boat with its sail up.
People’s age.
Spring. Summer. Autumn.
Winter.

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Short stories

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The North Wind and the Sun
The story was about the
north wind and the sun and
about which was stronger.
One day, north wind saw a
man with a cloak and ask
sun to prove if who is
stronger by taking the cloak
of the man off.
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The Crane of Gratitude
A man found a crane in the
middle of snow and helped her
by giving her a meal. The other
day, a beautiful lady came to the
man’s house and ask if she can
stay. They got married. The lady
makes beautiful cloth which
make the man rich. One day the
man knew the secret of the
beautiful lady and the lady had
no choice but to left the man.
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The Spider’s Thread
The story is about a sinner in the hell who saw a

very long spider’s thread and thought of using it

to escape. As he was going up, the other sinners
do the same and almost everybody were climbing
the thread. Just at that moment, the spider’s
thread, which had shown no sign of breaking up
to that time, suddenly broke with a snap at the
point where Kandata was hanging. He shot down
and fell headlong in to the darkness.
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Plays

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Kabuki
 Derived from the word ‘Kabuko’
 Classical Japanese dance-drama
 Originated Kyoto during Edo period
 Izuno No Okuni
 Plots are based on historical events, warm
hearted dramas, moral conflicts, love
stories, tales of tragedy of conspiracy.
 Performed by Onna-kabuki and Onna-kata

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Noh Drama
 Oldest surviving form of Japanese
theater.
 Combines music, dance and acting to
communicate buddist themes.
 Noh mask
 Ai Kyogen
 Noh stage
 Performed by Shite, Tsure, Waki,
Wakitsure.

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Bunraku (Ningyo Juriro)
 Traditional Japanese puppet theatre
 Edo Period
 Osaka, 17th century
 Narrated by one person
 shamisen
 Stories adapted from Kabuki

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Arigato!

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