Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia of writing.

Early work was heavily influenced

by Chinese literature, but Japan quickly developed a style and quality of its own. When Japan reopened its ports to
Western trading and diplomacy in the 1th century, Western !iterature had a strong effect on Japanese writers, and
this influence is still seen today.
"s with all literature, Japanese literature is best read in the original. #ue to deep linguistic and cultural differences,
many Japanese words and phrases are not easily translated. "lthough Japanese literature and Japanese authors are
perhaps not as well known in the west as those in the European and "merican canons, Japan possesses an ancient
and rich literary tradition that draws upon a millennium and a half of written records.
Japanese Literature - History
$here is debate regarding the classification of periods in Japanese literature. $he following is a general guide based
on important political and cultural events. %iven the immense span of years covered in this article, it is not
comprehensive, but rather highlights prominent works and authors of the various periods. "ll names are in the
Japanese order of surname first, given name second.
Japanese Post-war literature
World War &&, and Japan's defeat, influenced Japanese literature. (any authors wrote stories of disaffection, loss of
purpose, and the coping with defeat. #a)ai *samu's novel $he +etting +un tells of a returning soldier from
(anchukuo. (ishima ,ukio, well-known for both his nihilistic writing and his controversial suicide by seppuku,
began writing in the post-war period.
.rominent writers of the 1/0s and 110s, were identified with intellectual and moral issues in their attempts to raise
social and political consciousness. *ne of them, *e 2en)aburo wrote his most well-known work, " .ersonal (atter
in 134 and became Japan's second winner of the 5obel .ri)e for !iterature.
&noue (itsuaki had long been concerned with the atomic bomb and continued in the 110s to write on problems of
the nuclear age, while Endo +husaku depicted the religious dilemma of the 2akure 2irishitan, 6oman Catholics in
feudal Japan, as a springboard to address spiritual problems. &noue ,asushi also turned to the past in masterful
historical novels of &nner "sia and ancient Japan, in order to portray present human fate.
"vant-garde writers, such as "be 2obo, who wrote fantastic novels such as Woman in the #unes 71308, wanted to
e9press the Japanese e9perience in modern terms without using either international styles or traditional conventions,
developed new inner visions. :urui ,oshikichi tellingly related the lives of alienated urban dwellers coping with the
minutiae of daily life, while the psychodramas within such daily life crises have been e9plored by a rising number of
important women novelists. $he 111 5aoki .ri)e went to $odo +hi)uko for 6ipening +ummer, a story capturing
the comple9 psychology of modern women. *ther award-winning stories at the end of the decade dealt with current
issues of the elderly in hospitals, the recent past 7.ure- ;earted +hopping #istrict in 2oen<i, $okyo8, and the life of a
(ei<i period ukiyo-e artist. &n international literature, &shiguro 2a)uo, a native of Japan, had taken up residence in
=ritain and won =ritain's prestigious =ooker .ri)e.
(urakami ;aruki is one of the most popular and controversial of today's Japanese authors. ;is genre-defying,
humorous and fantastic works have sparked fierce debates in Japan over whether they are true >literature> or simple
pop-fiction? *e 2en)aburo has been one of his harshest critics. ;owever, Western critics are nearly unanimous in
assessing (urakami's works as having serious literary value. +ome of his most well-known works include
5orwegian Wood 711/8 and $he Wind-@p =ird Chronicle 714-1A8. "nother best-selling contemporary author
is =anana ,oshimoto.
"lthough modern Japanese writers covered a wide variety of sub<ects, one particularly Japanese approach stressed
their sub<ects' inner lives, widening the earlier novel's preoccupation with the narrator's consciousness. &n Japanese
fiction, plot development and action have often been of secondary interest to emotional issues. &n keeping with the
general trend toward reaffirming national characteristics, many old themes reemerged, and some authors turned
consciously to the past. +trikingly, =uddhist attitudes about the importance of knowing oneself and the poignant
impermanence of things formed an undercurrent to sharp social criticism of this material age. $here was a growing
emphasis on women's roles, the Japanese persona in the modern world, and the malaise of common people lost in
the comple9ities of urban culture.
.opular fiction, non-fiction, and children's literature all flourished in urban Japan in the 110s. (any popular works
fell between >pure literature> and pulp novels, including all sorts of historical serials, information-packed
docudramas, science fiction, mysteries, business stories, war <ournals, and animal stories. 5on-fiction covered
everything from crime to politics. "lthough factual <ournalism predominated, many of these works were interpretive,
reflecting a high degree of individualism. Children's works remerged in the 1A0s, and the newer entrants into this
field, many of them younger women, brought new vitality to it in the 110s.
(anga 7comic books8 have penetrated almost every sector of the popular market. $hey include virtually any field of
human interest, such as a multivolume high-school history of Japan and, for the adult market, a manga introduction
to economics, and pornography. (anga represented between B0 and C0 percent of annual publications at the end of
the 110s, in sales of some 400 billion per year.
Himeji Castle - the best example of a Japanese Castle
Japanese castles were frequently constructed in strategic locations to protect important transport routes such as
bridges, rivers or ports. *ther Japanese castles were built to dominate a landscape and provide a final point of
defence. (any Japanese castles were the basis for the development of cities, while others were located in difficult to
reach mountain tops. (ost Japanese castle featured one or more moats, plus one or more sets of outer walls, then a
raised platform where the inner castle buildings were protected by a series of large stone walls, turrents and don<on
or tower. Japanese castles really came of age in the 14th century, reaching their peak in 1/th century and by the late
1th century most were being disassembled as part of the (ei<i 6estoration.
Samurai ( or sometimes ) is a common term for a warrior in pre-industrial Japan. A more appropriate
term is bushi () (lit. "war-man") which came into use during the Edo period. However the term
samurai now usuall! refers to warrior nobilit! not for e"ample ashigaru or foot soldiers. #he samurai with
no attachment to a clan or daim!o was called a ronin (lit. "wave-man").
Samurai were e"pected to be cultured and literate and over time samurai during the #o$ugawa era
graduall! lost their militar! function. %! the end of the #o$ugawa samurai were essentiall! civilian
bureaucrats for the daim!o with their swords serving onl! ceremonial purposes. &ith the 'ei(i reforms in
the late )*th centur! the samurai were abolished as a distinct class in favour of a western-st!le national
arm!. #he strict code that the! followed called bushido still survives in present-da! Japanese societ! as
do man! other aspects of their wa! of life.
Etymology of samurai
#he word samurai has its origins in the pre-Heian period Japan when it was pronounced saburai
meaning servant or attendant. +t was not until the earl! modern period namel! the A,uchi-'omo!ama
period and earl! Edo period of the late )-th and earl! ).th centuries that the word saburai became
substituted with samurai. However b! then the meaning had alread! long before changed.
/uring the era of the rule of the samurai the earlier term !umitori (bowman) was also used as an
honorar! title of an accomplished warrior even when swordsmanship had become more important.
Japanese archer! ($!u(utsu) is still strongl! associated with the war god Hachiman.
Samurai