Varios - Japanese Literature for the High School Classroom

8/12/2019 Varios - Japanese Literature for the High School Classroom

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Japanese Literature for the

High School Classroom

An annotated bibliography

compiled and edited by the

Educational Outreach Department

Japan Society


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Dear Educator,

Japan has a rich literary heritage that offers readers a doorway into Japanese history

and culture. For high school readers Japanese literature can bring alive the

historical characters they may meet in social studies class. Japan also offers a

fascinating comparison to the literature of western or other Asian countries.

Japanese literature has always been closely related to the visual arts and offers

countless subjects that can be transformed into a variety of art forms.

This annotated bibliography was prepared to help high school educators eplore the

world of Japanese literature that is appropriate for use in their classrooms. !ecause

of the great breadth of subject matter in Japanese literature, it is often difficult

to find wor"s that fit into the interest and lives of young people. To ma"e the search

easier we offer this list of wor"s that has been reviewed by a committee of high

school educators.

The wor"s span the literary spectrum from verse, drama, and essays to novels, diaries,

and short stories. #ome of the wor"s, such as $$thcentury The Tale of Genji, are

well%"nown masterpieces of world literature. &ther pieces, such as the $'(' short

story, TV People, eamine technology and its effect on contemporary urban society.

The reviewers were as"ed to rate the wor"s according to theirsuitability in the highschool classroomon a scale from $ )not suitable* to $+ )very suitable*. All of the

wor"s were well% "nown by those who follow the world of Japanese literature. t was

the aim of this review, not to give an ehaustive listing of the great wor"s of

Japanese literature, but to offer only those wor"s that are can be used with young

adults.

n early $''( a group of eighteen educators who teach social studies, literature, art,

English%as%a%second language, as well as other disciplines, were as"ed to review

forty%five wor"s of Japanese literature. -henever possible, the reviewers were also

given bac"ground information regarding the wor"s and the authors they were as"ed to

review. Each wor" was read by two to five reviewers who were given several wee"s to

read the wor"s. They then submitted written summaries, highlighted themes, and gave

suggestions for classroom activities and discussions. The reviewers, as a whole

group, met to discuss their final views on certain wor"s.

-e commend the reviewers on their ecellent wor". They offered thorough eaminations

and insightful comments on each of the wor"s. -e etend a special than"s to all of

them for underta"ing this tas". The resulting bibliography is a compilation of the

wor" of the reviewers that has been edited by the staff of the Educational &utreach

Department at the Japan #ociety. The Educational &utreach Department ta"es full

responsibility for any mista"es or omissions in this bibliography.

Elaine u"ov

Director

Educational &utreach

/// East 01th #treet

2ew 3or", 23 $++$1

4hone5 )6$6* 1$7%$617

Fa5 )6$6* 1$7%$686

email5 evu"ov9japansociety.org

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Literature Review Participants

Susan Curtin Martin Luther King, Jr. High SchoolScott Endsley New School for Arts and Sciences

Linda old !he "ac#er Collegiate $nstitute

Lynne reenfield !ownsend Harris High SchoolSidney Hodges High School for Health "rofessions and Hu%an Ser&ices

Jeffrey Le&its#y 'iorello H. Lauardia High School

Angela Magliano Her(ert H. Leh%an High SchoolKathleen Moran Middle College High School

)onald "atterson *roo#lyn 'riends School

A%y )athge( New School for Arts and Sciences

Lois )ef#in Hunter College High School

Edith )o(erts Midwood High School at *roo#lyn Collegearret So#oloff 'oreign Language Acade%y of lo(al Studies

Lois Sta&s#y Seward "ar# High SchoolAnthony +alentin Stuy&esant High School

ennis +ellucci Arch(isho- Molloy High School

Janice arner Hunter College High Schoolarren yss High School of Art and esign

All of the high schools are in New York City

Educational Outreach Department

Japan Society

Addie Male, Education Assistant

Shiho /chiai, "rogra% CoordinatorElaine +u#o&, irector

Educational Outreach programs are generously funded by The Freeman Foundation.

0


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ContentsNote: Where no author is given, the work is anonymous

Page

Classical an Heian Perio !"##$%%&'(an!yoshu"Collection of Ten Thousand #ea$es%1ca. 334536 77

&okinshu "Collection of Ancient and odern 'oems%1ca. 8356 72The (ossamer Years) The *iary of a Noblewoman of +eian ,apan 18594896 70

The 'illow -ook1late 73thC6 (y Sei Shonagon 79

The Tale of (eni1early 77thC6 (y Murasa#i Shi#i(u 75

)eieval an *okugawa Perios !%%&'$%&+&(An Account of y +ut172726 (y Ka%o no Cho%ei 78

The Tale of the +eike1ca. 72536 27

Essays in /dleness 1ca. 70936 (y :oshida Ken#o 20

Tied to a 'ole0 The *elicious 'oison0 +iding the -adger 1ca. 70536 25

Atsumori 175th C6 (y ;ea%i Moto#iyo 2

1umidagawa "1umida 2i$er%175th

C6 (y ;ea%i Moto#iyo 28Narrow 2oad to the /nterior17ae%on 00

Chushingura) The Treasury of #oyal 2etainers179=6

(y !a#eda $>u%o, Miyoshi Shora#u, and Na%i#i Senryu 09,ournal of y Father!s #ast *ays17=376 andA Year of y #ife17=786 (y Ko(ayashi $ssa 05

Late %than -arly .#thCenturiesChild!s 'lay17=8548a(uro 58Flame Trees(y Ki>a#i Sato#o


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Classical an Heian Perio !"##$%%&'(

5


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)an1yoshu(Collection of *en *housan Leaves (ca! "##$"%#

&ype o' wor) poetry

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) "$*#

+rade levels) ,th

- *#th

- **th

- *.th

Summary)

!hean!yoshu, the oldest collection of Ja-anese -oetry, was co%-iled in the =thcentury andconsists of %ore than 9,333 -oe%s, so%e of which date fro% as early as the 5thcentury. hile

consisting %ainly of 07 sylla(le -oe%s 1tanka, also called waka6, it also contains %any e@a%-les

of long -oe%s 1choka6. !he su(?ect %atter of the -oe%s &aries fro% tra&el descri-tions to elegiesand -oe%s of lo&e and loss. !here are also -oe%s reflecting Chinese and *uddhist influences.

!hean!yoshu-oe%s are direct and accessi(le to any audience unfa%iliar with Ja-anese culture

and the con&entions of Ja-anese -oetry.

&hemes))elations (etween %en and wo%en relations (etween -arents and children %arital relations in

ancient Ja-an lo&e and de&otion futility of attach%ents in life i%-er%anence of life.

Suggestions 'or the classroom)

Ha&e students write Bdialogue and Ben&oy -oe%s.

Co%-are the ancient tanka with %odern tankain 1alad Anni$ersary(y Machi !awara.

/ibliography)

an!yoshu. $nAnthology of ,apanese #iterature from the earliest era to the mid8nineteenth

century, co%-iled and edited (y onald Keene, --. 00450. New :or#D ro&e "ress, 7855.

0ommentary)

Keene, onald. B!he Manyoshu and Ko#inshu Collections. $nasterworks of Asian

#iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 0


7/51

2okinshu(Collection of /ncient an )oern Poems (ca! ,#%

&ype o' wor) poetry

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) "$1

+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th

Summary)

!he&okinshu, co%-leted in 835 A, is the first collection of -oetry s-onsored (y the i%-erial

fa%ily. Al%ost all of -oe%s in this collection are in the for% of waka1also referred to as tanka6,consisting of 07 sylla(les in fi&e lines. E&en though %any of the -oe%s are suggesti&e and

indirect in their %eaning, these -oe%s of lo&e, loss and i%-er%anence can (e understood (y any

audience. !here are 7,777 -oe%s in the co%-lete collection.

&hemes)

*uddhist the%es of i%-er%anence and the fleeting nature of life %arital relations in early Ja-an

lo&e and loss of a lo&ed one.


Ha&e students write their own -oe%s.

Co%-are the ancient tan#a with %odern tan#a in 1alad Anni$ersary178=6 (y Machi !awara.

/ibliography)

&okinshu. $nAnthology of ,apanese #iterature, edited (y onald Keene, --.


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*he 3ossamer 4ears: *he 5iary of a No6lewoman of Heian Japan(,%2$,"2

&ype o' wor) diary

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) 4$,

+rade levels) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th

Summary)

The (ossamer Yearsis an auto(iogra-hical wor# (y a %e%(er of the aristocracy of the Heian

-eriod #nown to us only as Michitsunas %other. !he wor# centers on the authors relationshi-with her hus(and and enco%-asses a -eriod of a(out 23 years 18594896. As a secondary wife in

a -olyga%ous culture in 73thcentury Ja-an, the author recounts her initial ha--iness in the

%arriage, soon to (e followed (y anger, ?ealousy and finally, resignation.

&hemes)

!he role of aristocratic wo%en during the Heian -eriod the difficulties of li&ing within a

-olyga%ous society religious (elief syste%s that su--orted this cultural -ractice the -assing on

of societys e@-ectations to younger generations.


Students can e@a%ine a diary as a literary %ediu%, how it illustrates the relationshi- to the

actions of the characters and the co%-le@ities surrounding their li&es, and gi&es &oice to their

thoughts and e%otions.

)eading this (oo# in con?unction with The Tale of (eniand The 'illow -ook, (oth written (y

educated Heian court wo%en, offers o--ortunities for great co%-arisons and contrasts in ter%s

of the characters, writing style and related the%es.

!his is a &ery good wor# to use in social studies classes in understanding the attitudes andculture of the Heian "eriod. *oo# /ne and the first section of *oo# !hree can (e used tointroduce classical Ja-anese culture.

!he (oo# would wor# e@tre%ely well in a wo%ens historyliterature course in whichco%-arisons can (e %ade with wo%en in ancient China andor -re4%odern Euro-e.

!he students %ay want to u-date this wor# to a conte%-orary setting, as certain attitudes anda--roaches to life are readily identifia(le and can (e related to (y students.

/ibliography)

Seidenstic#er, Edward ., trans. The (ossamer Years) The *iary of a Noblewoman of +eian0,apan. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 78


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*he Pillow 7ook (late *#th0 bySei Shonagon

&ype o' wor) essay5diary

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) 1$*#


Summary)

The 'illow -ookis a rando% series of o(ser&ations, descri-tions of e&ents and cere%onies, and

lists and -oe%s, written (y a no(le wo%an in the late 73thcentury. hile not a diaryper se, the(oo# offers a rich -ortrait of life at the Heian court. !he lists, on such to-ics as B!hings /ne is

Li#ely to Neglect and BHateful !hings, are thought4-ro&o#ing and highly reada(le. !hey can

often (ring a s%ile of recognition to the conte%-orary reader des-ite the ten centuries se-aratingthe% fro% the author. !he (oo# re&eals that the author was a highly s-irited -erson with a shar-

eye and a caustic tongue, ca-a(le of creating &i&id i%ages with a few well4chosen words. !he

structure is &ery fle@i(le so a teacher could easily ada-t it in a nu%(er of ways to suit students.

&hemes)Heian court life, including the relationshi-s (etween %en and wo%en the co%-le@ social

hierarchy of the -eriod art and aesthetics of the -eriod the eclectic religious (eliefs with the co4e@istence of Shinto, *uddhis% and others the etiIuette of court life education of wo%en and

filial -iety.

Suggestions 'or classroom)

!he wor#, taught in con?unction with The Tale of (eniandor The (ossamer Years, offers an

e@cellent o--ortunity for interdisci-linary wor# a%ong art, social studies and literature courses.

Each student can create a B-illow (oo#44a series of lists, o(ser&ations, rules of -ro-er (eha&ior,

descri-tions of uniIue -laces, and so on. !he for% is re%ar#a(ly fle@i(le and can easily (erelocated to conte%-orary New :or#, the intrigues of a soccer tea% or todays -olitical situation.Students can also for%ulate their own lists with to-ics such as, B!hings which are )eassuringly

!edious or B!hings which are $nitially ece-ti&e.

/ibliography)

Morris, $&an, ed., trans. The 'illow -ook of 1ei 1honagon. New :or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity

"ress, 7887.

0ommentary)

Morris, $&an. The 4orld of the 1hining 'rince) Court #ife in Ancient ,apan . New :or#D

Kodansha $nternational. !his is an e@cellent study of court life in ancient Ja-an. An educatorcan re&eal to their students that a ci&ili>ation, re%ote in ti%e and -lace, is well worth the

effort to disco&er.

)i%er, J. !ho%as.A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 9949. New :or#D Kodansha$nternational, 78==.

)uch, *ar(ara. BA *oo# of /nes /wnD !he ossa%er :ears !he "illow *oo# and the

Confessions of Lady Ni?o. $nasterworks of Asian #iterature in Comparati$e 'erspecti$e,edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 93=4972. New :or#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889.

8


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*he *ale of 3en8i(early **th0 by 6urasai Shiibu (ca! ,"1$*#*%

&ype o' wor) novel

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) "$,

+rade levels) **th- *.th

Summary)

Set in Heian Ja-an 189477=56, The Tale of (enifocuses on the ro%antic intrigues of en?i, the

BShining "rince, at the $%-erial Court. en?i, re-resenting the ideal aristocrat of his ti%e and-lace, is handso%e, refined and s#illed at the arts of -oetry, dance, calligra-hy and lo&e.

!he tale (egins with the story of en?is -arents and of his (irth and childhood, %arred (y theearly death of his %other. !he central ro%ance of the (oo# is that of en?i and Murasa#i, who%

en?i %et when she was a child and which for%s one of his %ost lasting and -rofound

attach%ents. Also included are his liaisons with other wo%en, %ost nota(ly with his fathers

%ain wife, and his (anish%ent fro% court.

&hemes)

!he %eaning of -olitical -ower44fro% the (eginning of the story the reader sees how -ower isacIuired and %aintained in Heian Ja-an. ithout a--ro-riate B(ac#ing, no one, %ale or fe%ale,

can acIuire -ower at the court, yet to (e held too %uch in fa&or (y the e%-eror could cause

?ealousy and -ro&o#e ri&alry.

!he status of wo%en in Heian Ja-an. o%en sur&i&e in worlds in which co%-le@ and hea&ily

nuanced social %ores do%inate life and in which B(ac#ground defines ones -lace in an

intricate we( of relationshi-s.

!he Ja-anese &iew of nature. !he seasons and their relationshi- to the e&ents in the story showthe de-th of the changing seasons as a %eta-hor in Ja-anese literature. !he co%-le@ way inwhich the natural (ac#ground -er%eates the narrati&e in&ites students to go (eyond a stereoty-ed

&iew of the %eaning of the seasons.

!he role of -oetry in Heian Ja-an. "oe%s ser&ed a range of functionsD to re&eal the inner nature

of the character to de%onstrate ideals of fe%ininity and %asculinity to co%%ent on the %ain

narrati&e of the story.

How *uddhis% and nati&e Shinto (eliefs were wo&en into the fa(ric of e&eryday life of the

no(ility. B)eligious ideas were not se-arate fro% e&eryday life.


!his wor# can (e effecti&ely used in social studies, art and literature classes. !he co%-lete wor#

contains a &ast nu%(er of characters and continues well -ast the ti%e of en?is death, (ut thefirst few cha-ters can (e used as an introduction to the Ja-anese court of a thousand years ago.

A -articular strength of the wor# is the -ower of the characteri>ations. en?is lo&ers e%erge asco%-lete, if styli>ed wo%en, indi&idual in their res-onse to the constricting society in which they

li&e. !he author created wo%en who suffer -ain and rage in their li%ited roles. Students can

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write a first4-erson narrati&e for any of en?is %any lo&ers to re&eal a -ersonal -oint of &iew of

the BShining "rince and his dalliances.

Students can also e@-lore the relationshi- (etween -oetry and narrati&e. !he characters in the

Talere&eal the%sel&es through -oetic allusions that s-ea# of shared cultural e@-eriences. How

would students wea&e together -oetry and fictional narrati&e

!he Seidenstic#er translation is illustrated with (lac#4and4white woodcuts fro% a 7th4century

edition that -ro&ide styli>ed faces and -ers-ecti&es fa%iliar fro% %any editions of en?i.Students %ight do a range of &isual assign%ents fro% the Tale, fro% researching other

illustrations, to creating their own.

!he students can e@-lore two Noh dra%as,AoiandNonomiya, that are (ased on cha-ters of theTale of (eni.

/ibliography)

&here are several translations o' *he *ale of 3en8i!Murasa#i, Shi#i(u. The Tale of (eni. !ranslated and a(ridged (y Edward . Seidenstic#er.

New :or#D )ando% House, 78


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)eieval an *okugawa Perios !%%&'$%&+&(

72


13/51

/n /ccount of )y Hut(*.*. by 9amo no 0homei (**%:$*.*4

&ype o' wor) essay

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) "$1


Summary)

Anessay written (y Ka%o no Cho%ei 177504727


14/51

*he *ale of the Heike(ca! *.%#

&ype o' wor) epic narrative

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) :$*# with most reviewers giving

it "$*#

+rade Level) ,th

- *#th

- **th

- *.th

Summary)

The Tale of the +eikeis a warrior e-ic of the historic (attles (etween the en?i 1Mina%oto clan6and the Hei#e 1!aira clan6 (etween 77


15/51

and The Tale of +eike,translated (y Helen Craig McCullough, --. 295495=. StanfordD

Stanford Fni&ersity "ress, 7889.

0ommentary)

)i%er, J. !ho%as.A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 584oguchi, 7855, 73= %ins.

75


16/51

-ssays in 9leness(ca! *:2# by ;oshida 9eno (*.1:$*:%#

&ype o' wor) essay

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) "$*#


Summary)

!his (oo# is a collection of 290 e-isodes written (y Ken#o, a 79th4century *uddhist %on#. !he

author writes in the3uihitsu1follow4the4(rush style6 that e%-loys the loose and unstructuredstrea%4of4consciousness %ethod. Ken#o considers a &ariety of to-ics, fro% the (eauty of nature

to what constitutes a Btrue gentle%an, freely writing his i%-ressions of the world as seen fro% a

*uddhist -oint of &iew.

&hemes)

!he the%es of the collection &ary fro% to-ic to to-ic44e@a%-les are Ken#os i%-ressions on

*uddhis%, conduct of a gentle%an, !aois%, -olitics, celi(acy, Ja-anese aesthetics,

i%-er%anence, &anity of worldly -ossessions and achie&e%ents, traditions, fondness of theirregular and inco%-lete, and the di&inity of the e%-eror.


Since each entry is short, teachers can select sections %ost rele&ant to their o(?ecti&es.

E@a%ining the structure of the (oo# and creating their own e@a%-le of3uihitsuis interesting.

Fsing so%e essays, the teacher can -ortray the use of suggestion, si%-licity and i%-er%anence

in Ja-anese aesthetics, there(y showing contrast to the estern -resentation of art. After

a(sor(ing the conce-t, students %ay gain a greater a--reciation of the use of e%-ty s-ace andthe use of (rush stro#es to suggest an o(?ect in (oth Ja-anese and Chinese art.

As# students to identify and discuss Ken#os contradictory o-inions and what this contradiction%eans.

!his (oo# will (e an ideal te@t to acco%-any, or include in, a course on Ja-anese history,literature and religion.

!his is a good wor# to co%-are to Sei Shonagons'illow -ook.

/ibliography)

:oshida, Ken#o.Essays in /dleness. !ranslated (y onald Keene. New :or#D Colu%(ia

Fni&ersity "ress, 78


17/51

$ol 9.0 co%-iled (y )yusa#u !sunoda, %. !heodore de *ary, and onald Keene, --. 02


18/51

*ie to a Pole !7oshi6ari(, *he 5elicious Poison !7usu( and

Hiing the 7ager !2akushi$5anuki((ca! *:%#

&ype o' wor) drama

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) 1$*#

+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th(especially ,th

Summary)

!hese three -lays are so%e of the %ost fa%ous wor#s in the re-ertoire of #yogen, Ja-ans


19/51

/ibliography)

Kenny, on, co%-. The &yogen -ook) An Anthology of ,apanese Classical Comedies. !o#yoD

!he Ja-an !i%es, 78=8. The &yogen -ook, unfortunately out4of4-rint, contains all three of the-lays and %ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society.

*ra>ell, Karen, ed. Traditional ,apanese Theater) An Anthology of 'lays. New :or#DColu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. !his anthology contains -lays and co%%entaries on wor#s

of noh, #yogen, (unra#u and #a(u#i. The *elicious 'oisonis included.

Related wors and 8ideo)

/rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6.,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an

Society, 788. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 33 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese

theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo-ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !he (oo# and &ideo

%ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society

78


20/51

/tsumori(*%th0 by


21/51

Related wors and video)

Hare, !ho%as *len%an. B!hree "lays of the Noh !heater. $nasterworks of Asian #iteraturein Comparati$e 'erspecti$e, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 537457


22/51

Sumiagawa!Sumia iver((*%th0 by


23/51

-ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !his 24hour &ideo

can con&eniently (e &iewed in -arts. !he (oo# and &ideo %ay (e (orrowed fro% the

Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society.Traditional 'erforming Arts of ,apan) The +eart of &abuki0 Noh and -unraku. Ni--on Steel

Cor-oration +ideo J+, 78=. !his 0=4%inute &ideo is an e@cellent introduction to three of

the traditional for%s of Ja-anese theater. ood for the classroo%.

20


24/51

Narrow oa to the 9nterior(*41, by 6atsuo /asho (*422$*4,2

&ype o' wor) diary5travelogue

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) %$"

+rade Level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th

Summary)

Narrow 2oad to the /nterioris the tra&el diary of Matsuo *asho. $n the s-ring of 7


25/51

Comparati$e 'erspecti$e) A (uide for Teaching, edited (y *ar(ara Stoler Miller, --. 0=40=8

Ar%on#D M.E. Shar-e, 7889. !his is an e@cellent reference article for teachers and students

that includes to-ics and Iuestions for student ho%ewor# and research assign%ents.

25


26/51

*he Love Suicies at Sone;aki (*"#: by 0hiamatsu 6on>aemon (*4%:$*".2

&ype o' wor) drama

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) ,$*#!


Summary)

!his -lay (y Chi#a%atsu Mon>ae%on de-icts the tragic lo&e story of !o#u(ei, an honest young

sho- assistant, and his lo&er, /hatsu. !heir lo&e is thwarted (y the -lans for an arranged%arriage for !o#u(ei which he does not want to follow. $n trying to (rea# free fro% this

situation, !o#u(ei is (etrayed (y a %an he thought was his good friend, and is ruined financially.

!he only honora(le o-tion for hi% is to co%%it suicide, an act in which /hatsu agrees to ?oinhi%.

&hemes)

Suicide is a last resort in issues of honor and ill4fated lo&e. Conce-ts of dealing with dishonor

and disgrace can (e discussed. Students can discuss their own -erce-tions of suicide anddefinitions of true lo&e.

!he roles of wo%en during the !o#ugawa "eriod 17


27/51

Chushingura: *he *reasury of Loyal etainers(*"21 by &aeda ?>umo-

6iyoshi Shorau and =amii Senryu

&ype o' wor) drama

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) .$*#


Summary)

!his -lay, written in 79=, is (ased on a series of true e&ents that too# -lace (etween 737 and730. 'irst created as a -u--et -lay, the story was e@-anded to (eco%e a co%-le@ #a(u#i dra%a

and has offered Ja-anese audiences as the (asis of countless %odern ada-tations in theater,

%o&ies and tele&ision. !he story centers on a grou- of 9 %asterless sa%urai 1ronin6 whose lordwas un?ustly forced to co%%it suicide after (eing goaded into an altercation with a senior

sa%urai official, an act that was &iewed as a gra&e offense. !he 9 sa%urai s-ent two years

-lotting to a&enge the death of their lord, which they do (y #illing the official res-onsi(le for

their lords death. *y this act the sa%urai u-held their ideals of loyalty (ut they were sentenced

to death (y the !o#ugawa shogunate.

&hemes)

!he unconditional loyalty of the sa%urai ?ustice and re&enge integrity of character.


!his wor# can (e used in social studies classes when studying the !o#ugawa -eriod. !he wor# is

challenging, e&en to so-histicated high school readers, (ut can (e used effecti&ely if the students

are well -re-ared.

Fse as -art of an assign%ent for a research -a-er on !o#ugawa society infor%ed (y Confucian

ideals of loyalty.

/ibliography5'ilmography)

Keene, onald, trans. Chushingura) The Treasury of #oyal 2etainers0 A 'uppet 'lay. New

:or#D Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 787.

Ken?i Mi>oguchi. :; 2onin,

0ommentary)

)i%er, J. !ho%as.A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature. --. 4=3. New :or#D Kodansha

$nternational, 78==.

Related 7ilms and 8ideos)

:; 2onin, Ken?i Mi>oguch., !his is a 7892 fil% a&aila(le as a two4-art &ideo, 278 %inutes.

Chushingura "The #oyal :; 2etainers%, Hiroshi $naga#i, 78


28/51

Journal of )y


29/51

Late %than -arly .#thCenturies

28


30/51

Chil1s Play(*1,%$,4 by @iguchi ?chiyo (*1".$*1,4

&ype o' wor) short story

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) %$*#

+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th especially **thand *.th

Summary)

Set in the -leasure Iuarters of the late Mei?i era, this short story focuses on neigh(orhood

adolescents who e@-erience the (eginning of adulthood. A gang of (oys and one girl, once close4#nit -lay%ates, drift a-art as they face the ine&ita(ilities of growing u-. !wo characters in the

story, No(u, a (oy following the -ath to -riesthood, and Midori, a girl who will e&entually

(eco%e a -rostitute in the licensed (rothel Iuarters, hold %utual affection for one another (utsadly reali>e that their -aths will ne&er cross as they are a(out to shoulder lifes res-onsi(ilities.

&hemes)

Adolescence and the co%ing of age 1the reasons (ehind the se-aration of Midori and No(u6

social structure and the role of the fa%ily the e@-ectations de%anded (y -arents and society,confor%ity, and re(ellion setting44the characteristics of the (rothel Iuarter and street life during

the late Mei?i era.


!his story can (e used to aug%ent a Social Studies curriculu% in which the teacher discussesJa-anese society during the turn of the century.

/ibliography)

Higuchi, $chiyo. Child!s 'lay. $n/n the 1hade of 1pring #ea$es, translated (y )o(ert Lyonsanly, --. 25942=. New :or#D .. Norton Co%-any, 78=7.

0ommentary)

)i%er, J. !ho%as.A 2eader!s (uide to ,apanese #iterature, --. 73=4777. New :or#D Kodansha

$nternational, 78==.

03


31/51

7otchan(*,#4 by =atsume Sosei (*14"$*,*4

&ype o' wor) novel

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) 4$*#

+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th especially ,thand *#th

Summary)

ritten and set during the turn of the century, the no&el is a(out a young %an fro% !o#yo nic#4

na%ed *otchan, or Byoung %aster, who %o&es to a re%ote fishing &illage to ta#e u- a teaching?o(. Alienated fro% his fa%ily, he lea&es (ehind his (elo&ed, aged ser&ant. At the &illage, the

(rash (ut honest *otchan finds his students and colleagues dull, hy-ocritical and selfish. Fsing a

uni&ersal sense of hu%or, these a%using characters are -ortrayed with war%th and affection.

&hemes)

Character i%age44the la>y and defiant *otchan in co%-arison to the stereoty-e of Ja-anese

-eo-le as -olite and industrious hy-ocrisy and cruelty %ood and social at%os-here in Ja-an

during the early 23th

century44what as-ects of the no&el re&eal the efforts of the Ja-anese toincor-orate estern ideas and things into their li&es teacherstudent relationshi-s.


Co%-are *otchan with other characters fro% estern writing, such as Huc# 'inn and !o%

Sawyer fro% The Ad$entures of +uckleberry FinnandThe Ad$entures of Tom 1awyer, as well asHolden Caulfield fro% Catcher in the 2ye.

$f the wor# is too long, cha-ter 7, which deals with *otchans youth, could stand alone as a

character s#etch.

/ibliography)Natsu%e, Sose#i.-otchan. !ranslated (y Alan !urney. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 782.

07


32/51

*he a;or(*,*# by Shiga =aoya (*11:$*,"*



+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th especially **thand *.th

Summary)

Master (ar(er :oshisa(uro is #nown to all of his custo%ers as the finest (ar(er around. Suddenly

he falls ill, lea&ing his sho- and his e@-ert re-utation to two ine@-erienced assistants. hen anorder arri&es for a shar-ened ra>or fro% a wealthy custo%er who is a(out to ta#e a tri-,

!oshisa(uro feels co%-elled to shar-en the ra>or hi%self, e&en though he is Iuite sic#. !hen

suddenly a young %an enters the sho- for a Iuic# sha&e and the situation (eco%es a reci-e fordisaster.

&hemes)

o a character study of :oshisa(uro, whose -ersonality deter%ines the action of the story the

-ositi&e and negati&e as-ects of -erfectionis% the -sychology of re-ressed rage and &iolence.


!he construction of this story lends itself to discussions of the use of foreshadowing, dra%atic

tension, %ood and the at%os-here of the setting. How and when does the story reach its cli%a@

/ibliography)

Shiga, Naoya. The 2a3or. $n The 'aper *oor and Other 1tories, translated (y Lane unlo-,

--. 7


33/51


34/51

*he Shop6oy1s 3o(*,*, by Shiga =aoya (*11:$*,"*


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) %$1

+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th especially **th

Summary)

Sen#ichi, an a--rentice at a sho- selling scales, is drawn to the e@-ensi&e sushi sho- after

o&erhearing store cler#s -raise the restaurant. *ut finding hi%self too -oor to afford sushi,Sen#ichi (eat a sha%eful retreat fro% the sho-. itnessing the (oys disa--oint%ent, Awano, a

%e%(er of the House of "eers, treats the (oy to his desire. hile Sen#ichi is de&ouring the

sushi, Awano sli-s away, lea&ing (ehind the (oy, who is later con&inced that Awano %ust (e thefo@ god.

&hemes)

Ja-anese religion the %eaning of social status.


iscuss what Awano and Sen#ichi could ha&e in co%%on.

iscuss why ha&ing Awano a--ear to (e the fo@ god is a consolation to Sen#ichi.

Ha&e the students suggest other endings to the story. hy did the author choose this ending

/ibliography)

Shiga, Naoya. The 1hopboy!s (od. $n The 'aper *oor and Other 1tories, translated (y Laneunlo-, --. 83488. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 7882.

09


35/51

*he 9;u 5ancer(*,." by 9awabata ;asunari (*1,,$*,".

&ype o' wor) novel

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) 4$"

+rade level) ,th- *#th- **th- *.th- especially **thand *.th

Summary)

$n the early 23thcentury, a 784year4old (oy %eets a grou- of itinerant -erfor%ers while tra&elling

through the $>u "eninsula. He ?oins the% in their ?ourney and de&elo-s an affection for one of theyounger fe%ale dancers. Mutual lo&e does not trans-ire, and the youth returns to !o#yo. His

tears are testi%ony of the fondness he feels for those he encounters during this (rief ?ourney.

&hemes)

Adolescence and first lo&e relationshi-s and (eha&ior44for%al and infor%al (eha&ior Ja-anese

aesthetics as seen through the language and %ood of the story life in early 23 th4century Ja-an,

es-ecially the social -osition and treat%ent of entertainers.

Suggestions 'or classroom activity)

E@-lore the ways in which the author sets the %elancholic %ood of the story, using geogra-hyand cli%ate.

iscuss the authors delicate and -oetic use of language.

/ibliography)

Kawa(ata, :asunari. The /3u *ancer. $n The /3u *ancer and Other 1tories. !ranslated (y

Edward Seidenstic#er, --. 840=. )utlandD Charles E. !uttle Co%-any, 789.

Related 7ilms and 8ideos)The /3u *ancer1ani%ated6, !a#asu#a, 78=


36/51

Late .#thCentury

0


37/51

*he Sea an Poison (*,%1 by Endo Shusau (*,.:$*,,4

&ype o' wor) novel

On a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) *#

+rade level) *#th- **th- *.th

Summary)

hile wor#ing in a %ilitary hos-ital during orld ar $$, a young %edical intern na%ed Suguro

is haunted (y his in&ol&e%ent in e@-eri%ental surgery conducted on A%erican "/s. Sugurowitnesses ri&alry (etween doctors i%-eding care for -atients as well as the co&er4u- of fatal

%al-ractice. Confused, distraught and frustrated, Suguro finds hi%self resigned to circu%stance

and una(le to esca-e the situation. !his dar# no&el scrutini>es hu%an wea#nesses andruthlessness.

&hemes)

$ssues of %orality and ethics fro% %edical, %ilitary, and warti%e -oints of &iew the

dehu%ani>ing and desensiti>ing of -eo-le %a#ing a decision as an act of %orality a%(ition &s.%orality.


Character analysis of the #ey characters such as Suguro, !oda, Bthe old lady and Hilda.

iscuss what the students would do under the sa%e conditions in which the characters find

the%sel&es.

/ibliography)

Endo, Shusa#u. The 1ea and 'oison. !ranslated (y Michael allagher. New :or#D New

irections *oo#, 7882.

0


38/51

*he Woman in the 5unes(*,4. by Abe 9obo (b! *,.2

&ype o' wor) novel

On a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) 2$*#

+rade level) *.th- advanced students

Summary)

An a%ateur ento%ologist on an e@-edition in a re%ote &illage is %isled (y locals and, against his

will, (eco%es the hel-%ate-risonerco%-anion of a wo%an whose life consists of sho&elingsand for the welfare of her co%%unity. !he %ans res-onse -rogresses fro% dis(elief to anger to

defiance, and finally, to resignation. !he wo%an44a Iuiet, enig%atic figure44is si%ultaneously

su(%issi&e and %ani-ulati&e (oth deferential and strong4willed. hen gi&en a chance to esca-e,the %an chooses to stay in his -risonho%e.

&hemes)

Mortality, the %eaning of wor#, freedo%, co%%it%ent, free will, -ower and endurance the

indi&idual wants and needs &s. those of the co%%unity the rights of the indi&idual to -ursue hisor her own -ath indi&idual sacrifice.


$ssues of resistance, colla(oration and ada-tation can (e e@-lored through the no&el. !his (oo#,

as well as Endo Shusa#us The 1ea and 'oison, can lead to good discussions of the issues facing-eo-le in such situations.

!hough %uch of the Baction of the no&el is interior, and the no&els se@ual content is fairly

e@-licit, %ature students will find the no&el accessi(le, -ro&ocati&e and a source for seriousdiscussion.

E@-lore lin#s to estern literature that students %ay (e fa%iliar withD the Sisy-hus %yth, thewor#s of Eugene $onesco and Sa%uel *ec#ett.

/ibliography and 'ilmography)

A(e, Ko(o. The 4oman in the *unes. !ranslated (y E. ale Saunders. New :or#D Alfred A.

Kno-f, 78


39/51

7lack ain(*,44 by ?buse 6asuBi (*1,1$*,,:

&ype o' wor) novel

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) "$*#


Summary)

Mr. Shige%atsu is searching for a suita(le hus(and for his (elo&ed niece, who was conta%inated

(y the radiation of the B(lac# rain that fell fro% the s#y after the Hiroshi%a (o%(ing. !he storychanges settings as Mr. Shige%atsu reads his warti%e diaries. Sections of the nieces diaries also

a--ear in the wor#. !hrough these diary entries the reader e@-eriences not only the terror of the

(o%(ing (ut also how -eo-le continued to co-e and ad?ust under e@tre%e conditions.

&hemes)

!he antici-ation of death, death of lo&ed ones sur&i&al under e@tre%e conditions fa%ily and

social structure in the face of un-recedented u-hea&al during and after the war continuation of

traditional &alues in %arriage and fa%ily des-ite the wars de&astation.


i&en the length and co%-le@ity of this wor#, the teacher %ust (e well -re-ared to discuss the

%yriad of historical, cultural and social issues i%(edded in the story. !he no&el can lead to

discussions on -hiloso-hy, religion, cultural &alues and historical e&ents.

/ibliography and 'ilmography)

$(use, Masu?i.-lack 2ain. !ranslated (y John *ester. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 78


40/51

Human /shes(*,44 by Oda 9atsu>o (b! *,:*




Summary)

An adolescent (oy sur&i&es the ato%ic (o%(ing of Hiroshi%a. As he stu%(les out of the

%unitions factory where he was wor#ing at the ti%e of the (o%(ing, he co%es face4to4face withthe horrors of the de&astation. He doesnt reali>e the cause of the tragedy until hours later. His

thoughts turn fro% his astonish%ent at the &ast nu%(ers of -eo-le suffering around hi% to

concerns for the fate of his own fa%ily %e%(ers.

&hemes)

!he effects of the dro--ing of the (o%( on Hiroshi%a and Nagasa#i the %eaning of war in

ter%s of indi&iduals.


!he use of the first -erson to tell this harrowing account of the war gi&es A%erican students theo--ortunity to -lace the%sel&es in a situation they %ay ne&er consider. !he tone, which

e%-hasi>es the confusion and see%ingly a-athetic -ers-ecti&e of the (oy, could (e addressed, as

well as the use of i%agery, such as fire, ashes and (lac# rain which co&ers the (odies of the&icti%s of the (o%(ing. !he gra-hic descri-tions of the (urned &icti%s are also -owerful tools

for discussion.

/ibliography)

/da, Katsu>o.+uman Ashes. $n The Cra3y /ris and Other 1toriesof the Atomic Aftermath,

edited (y Ken>a(uro /e, --.


41/51

South Win (*,"1 by &sushima ;uo (b! *,2"


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) "$,

+rade level) **th- *.th

Summary)

!he story centers on the annual corres-ondence (etween A#i#o, a young %other, and !oyo#ichi,

an elderly %an who% A#i#o %et once while on a (rief holiday. At the ti%e of their initialencounter, A#i#o was %arried and the %other of a four4year4old daughter. :ears later, her life is

drastically altered (y di&orce, estrange%ent fro% her daughter and e@4hus(and, an affair with a

%arried %an and the (irth of a son. Struggling with the -hysical and -sychological difficulties ofcaring for a child alone, A#i#o is reluctant to share the uncertainty of her new life with this

elderly chance acIuaintance.

&hemes)

!he relationshi-s (etween %en and wo%en and how these relationshi-s define wo%ens roles inthe conte%-orary world the %eaning and res-onsi(ility of -aternity and %aternity.


Short stories (y *anana :oshi%oto such as BLi>ard and BHeli@ ha&e -arallels to BSouth ind

in ter%s of their insights into the relationshi-s (etween %en and wo%en. BSilent !raders isanother short story found in The 1hooting (allery. *oth stories e@a%ine the li&es of wo%en with

conflicting de%ands and e%otions co%-licated (y single -arenthood, illicit affairs, loneliness

and uncertainty.

!he character of !oyo#ichi ta#es on %ythic -ro-ortions as the story -rogresses. hat does he

re-resent in A#i#os i%agination

Students %ay discuss wo%ens continuous struggle for inde-endence and eIuality. $t %ight (e

-articularly interesting to co%-are A#i#o to wo%en in earlier wor#s, such as The Tale of (eni,

The (ossamer Yearsand The #o$e 1uicides at Amiima.

!hese wor#s %ay (e used in literature and social studies classes, as well as -sychology, health

education and grou- guidance classes as they -ose cross4cultural Iuestions for todays young-eo-le.

/ibliography)

!sushi%a, :u#o. 1outh 4ind. $n The 1hooting (allery and Other 1tories, translated (yeraldine Harcourt, --. 22409. New :or#D New irections *oo#s, 788.

97


42/51

*he Samurai (*,1# by Endo Shusau (*,.:$*,,4

&ype o' wor) novel

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) %$*#

+rade levels) *#th- **th- *.th

Summary)

The 1amuraiis a wor# of historical4fiction centering on )o#ue%on Hase#ura, a low4ran#ing

%e%(er of a Ja-anese %ission sent a(road in the early 7< thcentury. A four4year so?ourn lets hi%e@-erience the cultures of Me@ico, S-ain and )o%e. !hese estern cultures ser&e as %irrors in

which to reflect the sa%urai warrior -hiloso-hy. !he a%(itious 'ranciscan %issionarys atte%-t

to con&ert Ja-an into a Christian country ulti%ately fails and the -rotagonist returns to Ja-andisillusioned and s-iritually (ro#en.

&hemes)

!he connection (etween co%%ercialis% and religion during the age of e@-ansion the Catholic

Churchs atte%-ts to s-read Christianity to Ja-an the -olitical, religious and econo%ic i%-act ofthe s-read of trade and religion co%-arisons of Euro-ean and Ja-anese sensi(ilities.


!his (oo# is an infor%ati&e and entertaining way to e@a%ine Ja-anese feudal society fro% a

Ja-anese -oint of &iew, (ut reIuires concentration as well as interest in the ti%e -eriod. $n itsentirety, the (oo# can (e assigned to older students who are interested in glo(al studies andor

religion as e@tra reading for credit or as -art of a research -a-er.

/ibliography)

Endo, Shusa#u. The 1amurai. !ranslated (y +an C. essel. New :or#D Har-er and )ow, 78=2.

92


43/51

)oonlight Shaow(*,14 by ;oshimoto /anana (b! *,42


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) "$*#


Summary)

oonlight 1hadowis a &ery %o&ing short story a(out two grief4stric#en teen4agers44Satsu#i, a

girl, and Hiragi, a (oy, whose res-ecti&e (oyfriend and girlfriend -erish together in anauto%o(ile accident. !he story centers on Satsu#i, whose (oyfriend was also Hiragis (rother.

Satsu#i is haunted (y her %e%ories of their relationshi-, and Frara, a %agical young wo%an,

hel-s her reco&er fro% her loss.

:oshi%oto is a -articularly reada(le writer who addresses significant the%es in an off4hand,

a--roacha(le %anner. She is a writer who is accessi(le to the reluctant reader (ut rich enough in

arresting i%ages and ideas for the ad&anced reader.

&hemes)

Lo&e and loss growth, for%ing e%otional (onds and o&erco%ing o(stacles o&erco%ing griefand de-ression the su-ernatural in e&eryday life food is a &ery strong i%age in this story the

transition :oshi%oto esta(lishes in her the%es (etween tradition and %odernity offers rich

%aterial for discussion Kurt +onneguts wor#, es-ecially 1irens of Titanand 1laughterhouseFi$e, offer co%-arisons of %agical realis%

/ibliography)

:oshi%oto, *anana.oonlight 1hadow. $n&itchen, translated (y Megan *ac#us, --.7384752.New :or#D ashington SIuare "ress, 78==.

90


44/51

2itchen(*,1" by /anana ;oshimoto (b! *,42


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (no suitable to *# (very suitable) *#


Summary)

!his -oignant story tells of a war% friendshi- (etween two young adults who co-e with the

deaths of their lo&ed ones. !he -lot centers around Mi#age, a college girl, who %eets :uichi andhis trans&estite %other, Eri#o, after the death of the grand%other who was her last re%aining

relati&e. After (eing welco%ed into the ho%e of :uichi and Eri#o, Mi#age reco&er fro% her loss.

'ollowing Eri#os %urder, Mi#age hel-s :uichi, ?ust as he had hel-ed her, to reco&er fro% hisown tragic loss.

&hemes)

Co-ing with death the friendshi- and inde-endence of young adults.


iscuss the significance of the #itchen in Mi#ages life. hy is it a s-ecial -lace for herrite a -ersonal essay on a significant -lace.

/ibliography)

:oshi%oto, *anana.&itchen. $n&itchen, translated (y Megan *ac#us, --. 04735.

New :or#D ashington SIuare "ress, 78==.

99


45/51

*he Honey


46/51

Sala /nniversary(*,1" by &awara 6achi (b! *,4.

&ype o' wor) poetry

Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (e3cellent) *#


Summary)

A collection of %odern tan#a -oe%s written (y Machi !awara. !he author touches the%atically

u-on all of the e%otions and concerns of -eo-le of all agesD insecurity, the -ursuit of ha--iness,the u-s and downs of lo&e affairs and loneliness. !he -oe%s are connected the%atically and are

written in &ignettes that lure the reader into wanting to #now how so%e of these situations are

resol&ed. !his is -oetry with uni&ersal a--eal.


Co%-are the -oe%s with the wor#s of classical -oets in thean!yoshuand&okinshu, and other

early -oets, such as *asho and $ssa.

Select a -oe% and elongate it through the use of the sa%e the%e and for%at.

!each the structure of tan#a -oe%s.

/ibliography)

!awara, Machi. 1alad Anni$ersary. !ranslated (y Juliet inters Car-enter. !o#yoD Kodansha

$nternational, 78=8. !his (oo# is a&aila(le in a (ilingual edition in the Educators )esource

Center at the Ja-an Society.

9


47/51

*he 4amaa 5iary(*,11 by &aeno 6asato (b! *,44


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) ,$*#


Summary)

!he story focuses on a high school (oy who i%-ulsi&ely -urchases a co%-uter ga%e software

called B!he :a%ada iary. He finds the ga%e to (e unusually si%ilar to his own life, ande&entually (eco%es o(sessed with the ga%e as he uses it to &ent his re-ressed frustration.

&hemes)

Co%-uter4age generation the daily life of ur(an high school students in Ja-an re(ellion against

confor%ity and res-ect of authority in Ja-an the relationshi- of son and %other the (rea#down

of fa%ily life the (lurring of Breality and B&irtual reality esca-ing fro% the routine of

e&eryday life through fantasy.


Ha&e students create a &ideo ga%e (ased on their own li&es or analy>e the content of any &ideoga%e with which they are fa%iliar.

E@a%ine Ja-anese co%ics 1manga6 and ani%ations 1anime6.

iscuss the wor# in con?unction with stories (y a(riel arcia MarIue> and 'ran> Kaf#a.

iscuss what the authors intention was in writing the story44is it a Bcautionary tale

/ibliography)!a#eno, Masato. The Yamada *iary. $nonkey -rain 1ushi, edited (y Alfred *irn(au%,--. 284039. !o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 7887.

9


48/51

*> People (*,1, by 6uraami @arui (b! *,2,


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) 1$,


Summary)

A young !o#yo (usiness%ans a-art%ent is in&aded (y a grou- of s%all, silent creatures who

disru-t the order created there (y the narrators %eticulous wife. !he creatures lea&e (ehind a!+ set. radually the !+ (egins to infiltrate the other as-ects of the narrators life and

ulti%ately he (eco%es one of the !+ -eo-le.

&hemes)

!he significance of electronics in %odern society the -ersonality of the %ain character &alues

and lifestyle of a young ur(an %arried cou-le.

Suggestion 'or the classroom)Engage students in a discussion on the effect that tele&ision and %edia ha&e on -eo-les li&es.

!he story can (e used in a sociology or health course as well as a literature course, as it as#s

so%e of the sa%e Iuestions raised in Marie inns (oo#, The 'lug8/n *rug.

)ead this story with BAn Account of My Hut (y Ka%o no Cho%ei. iscuss what one needs to

(e connected with the world and what one can e@ist without.

!he narrator %entions that his lac# of interest in %achines has %ade -eo-le Iuestion whether hewas a Luddite. !he students could research Luddites and discuss whether there are reasons to

resist the Bin&asion of technology.

Ha&e students e@-lore the way the author draws an i%age of the %undane ?u@ta-osed with the

e@traordinaryfantastical.

/ibliography)

Mura#a%i, Haru#i. T5 'eople. $nonkey -rain 1ushi, edited (y Alfred *irn(au%, --. 542=.

!o#yoD Kodansha $nternational, 7887.

9=


49/51

?ne@pecte )utenessby Oe 9en>aburo (b! *,:%


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) *#


Summary)

At the end of orld ar $$, A%erican soldiers arri&e at a Ja-anese &illage whose inha(itants are

encountering the occu-ying ar%y for the first ti%e. hile se&eral of the soldiers are swi%%ing,the shoes (elonging to their Ja-anese inter-reter disa--ear. Con&inced the shoes were stolen (y

one of the &illagers, the inter-reter sets out to find the thief. !he situation escalates into a deadly

confrontation with the &illagers. !he A%ericans de-art fro% the &illage and its silent inha(itants,lea&ing the unsol&ed tragedy (ehind the%.

&hemes)

!he %any different relationshi-s in this short story %a#e for worthwhile discussion, including

the relationshi- (etween the &illagers the%sel&es the inter-reter and the &illagers the soldiersand the inter-reter and relations (etween the soldiers and the &illagers with -articular attention

to their rece-tion in the (eginning in contrasting with how the &illagers res-ond to theirde-arture. Co%%unication is a %a?or the%e of the wor#44e@a%ine the ways all the characters

interact, (oth &er(ally and non4&er(ally the usage of different languages is also interesting to

consider.


!his wor# is great for literature and social studies classes, and a useful story for e@a%ining the

co%-onents and co%-le@ities of war in generalD the -artici-ants the inhu%ane acts and atrocitiesthat are co%%itted their a(surdity and the ways in which they e&ol&e.

/ibliography)

/e, Ken>a(uro. 6ne7pected uteness. !ranslated (y illia% etherall.,apan =uarterly

1January4March 78=86D --. 05499. A co-y of this short story is a&aila(le at the Educators

)esource Center at the Ja-an Society.

98


50/51

ai Satoo (b! *,:,


Suitability on a scale 'rom * (not suitable to *# (very suitable) 4$,


Summary)

$n 78


51/51

/nthologies of Japanese Literature

*irn(au%, Alfred, ed.onkey -rain 1ushi) New Tastes in ,apanese Fiction. New :or#D

Kodansha $nternational, 7887. Selections of daring and off4(eat stories fro% conte%-oraryauthors such as Mura#a%i Haru#i and !a#eno Masato. $ncludes T5 'eopleand The Yamada

*iary.

*ra>ell, Karen, ed. Traditional ,apanese Theater) An Anthology of 'lays. New :or#D

Colu%(ia Fni&ersity "ress, 788=. Contains -lays and co%%entaries on wor#s of noh, #yogen,

(unra#u and #a(u#i. $ncludes The *elicious 'oison.

essel, +an C. and !o%one Matsu%oto, ed. 1howa Anthology) odern ,apanese 1hort

1tories. New :or#D Kodansha $nternational, 78=5. A collection of short stories fro%

distinguished authors such as $(use Masu?i, $noue :asushi, A(e Ko(o and /e Ken>a(uro.

Keene, onald 1editor6.Anthology of ,apanese #iterature from the earliest Era to the id8

Nineteenth Century. N:D ro&e "ress, 78==.A co%-ilation of stories, essays, -oe%s, -lays and diaries dating fro% the ancient era to the

%id478thcentury. $ncludes e@cer-ts of classics such as The 'illow -ook, Tale of (eniand

#o$e 1uicides at 1one3aki.

Keene, onald 1editor6.odern ,apanese #iterature) An Anthology. NY) (ro$e 'ress0 9>?>.

A co%-anion and continuation of Keenes anthology of early literature.

/e, Ken>a(uro, ed. The Cra3y /ris and Other 1tories of the Atomic Aftermath. New :or#D

ro&e "ress, 78=5. A collection of short stories focusing on the ato%ic (o%(ings ofHiroshi%a and Nagasa#i in August of 7895.

Japanese*heater

/rtolani, *enito. Sa%uel Leiter 1editor6.,apanese Theater in the 4orld. New :or#D Ja-an

Society, 788. !his &olu%e illustrates o&er 33 o(?ects, co&ering the whole range of Ja-anese

theater and its history fro% its ancient roots to conte%-orary theater. !he co%-anion &ideo-ro&ides an e@cellent &isual introduction to all for%s of Ja-anese theater. !he (oo# and &ideo

%ay (e (orrowed fro% the Educators )esource Center at the Ja-an Society.

Documents

Varios - Japanese Literature for the High School Classroom