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History of Literature
Bronze Age literature:
Sumerian
Egyptian
Assyro-Babylonian
Classical literatures:
Chinese
Greek
Latin
Pahlavi
Pali
Sanskrit
Syriac
Tamil
Medieval literature
Anglo-Saxon
Arabic
Byzantine
French
German
Hebrew
Indian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Kannada
Nepal Bhasa
Norse
Persian
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Early Modern literature
Renaissance literature
Baroque literature
Modern literature
18th century
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Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia. The history of literature is the historical development of Writings in Prose or Poetry which attempt to provide Entertainment, enlightenment The History of literature begins with the History of writing, in Bronze Age Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, although the oldest literary Sumerian literature is the oldest literature in the worldThe Sumerians invented the first writing system beginning with cuneiform Logograms Ancient Egyptian literature comprises texts written in the Egyptian language during the pharaonic period of Egypt. Babylonian literature is one of the world's oldest Drawing on the traditions of Sumerian literature, the Babylonians compiled a vast textual tradition of mythological A classical language, is a language with a Literature that is "classical"&mdashie "it should be ancient it should be an independent tradition that arose mostly Chinese classic texts or Chinese canonical texts ( refer to the pre- Qin Chinese texts especially the Confucian Four Books and Five Classics Ancient Greek literature refers to Literature written in the Greek language until the 4th century AD Latin literature, the body of written works in the Latin language remains an enduring legacy of the culture of Ancient Rome. Middle Persian literature is Persian literature of the 1st millennium AD, especially of the Sassanid period Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language Literature in Sanskrit begins with the Vedas, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India; the golden age of Classical Syriac literature is Literature written in the Syriac language, an eastern Aramaic language. Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years 300 BCE and 600 CE Medieval literature is a broad subject encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages (encompassing the one thousand Anglo-Saxon literature (or Old English literature) encompasses Literature written in Anglo-Saxon (Old English during the 600-year Anglo-Saxon Arabic literature ( Arabic: الأدب العربي Al-Adab Al-Arabi) is the writing produced both Prose and Poetry, by speakers Byzantine literature may be defined as the Greek literature of the Middle Ages, whether written in the territory of the Byzantine Empire or outside Medieval French literature is for the purpose of this article Literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle Medieval German literature refers to Literature written in Germany stretching from the Carolingian dynasty; various dates have been given for the end of the See also Israeli literature. Hebrew literature consists of ancient medieval and modern writings in the Hebrew language. Indian literature is generally acknowledged as one of the oldest in the world The earliest Irish authors It is unclear when literacy first came to Ireland This is a list of Japanese classic texts. These classical works of Japanese literature are grouped by genres in a chronological order Kannada literature is the body of literature of Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Nepal Bhasa literature refers to Literature in Nepal Bhasa History Nepal Bhasa has a long history as regards literature Old Norse literature refers to the vernacular literature of the Scandinavian peoples up to ca Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost Mediaeval Welsh literature is the literature written in the Welsh language during the Middle Ages. The History of literature of the Early Modern period ( 16th, 17th and partly 18th century literature) Renaissance Literature refers to the period in European literature, which began in Italy during the 15th century and spread around Europe through Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc The History of literature in the Modern period in Europe begins with the Age of Enlightenment and the conclusion of the Baroque period in the 18th century See also 17th century in literature, other events of the 18th century, 19th century in literature, List of years in literature. See also 18th century in literature, other events of the 19th century, 20th century in literature, List of years in literature. See also 19th century in literature, other events of the 20th century, 21st century in literature, List of years in literature. Early works were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese, alongside influences from Indian literature. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Chinese literature extends back thousands of years from the earliest recorded dynastic court Archives to the mature fictional Novel that arose during the Ming Dynasty Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of Written Chinese based on the Grammar and Vocabulary of ancient Chinese Indian literature is generally acknowledged as one of the oldest in the world But Japanese literature developed into a separate style in its own right as Japanese writers began writing their own works about Japan, although the influence of Chinese literature and Classical Chinese remained until the end of Edo period. Since Japan reopened its ports to Western trading and diplomacy in the 19th century, Western and Eastern literature have strongly affected each other; this influence is still seen today. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Western literature refers to the Literature of the Indo-European languages, as well as several languages geographically or historically related to the Indo-European

Contents

History

Japanese Literature is generally divided into four main periods: ancient, classical, medieval, and modern.

Until 794

With the introduction of kanji from China, the first writing in Japan became possible. are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with Hiragana (ひらがな 平仮名 Katakana Before this, there was no writing system. At first Chinese characters were used in Japanese syntactical formats, and the literary language was classical Chinese; the result is sentences that look like Chinese but are phonetically read as Japanese. Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of Written Chinese based on the Grammar and Vocabulary of ancient Chinese Chinese characters were later adapted to write Japanese, creating what is known as the man'yōgana, the earliest form of kana, or syllabic writing. is an ancient Writing system which employs Chinese characters to represent the Japanese language. Kana is a general term for the syllabic Japanese scripts Hiragana (ひらがな and Katakana (カタカナ as well as the old system The earliest works were created in the Nara Period. The of the History of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. These include Kojiki (712), a work recording Japanese mythology and legendary history; Nihonshoki (720), a chronicle with a slightly more solid foundation in historical records than Kojiki; and Man'yōshū (759), a poetry anthology. Events By Place Europe Ansprand succeeds Aripert as king of the Lombards. The, sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. Events By Place Asia The Nihon Shoki (日本書紀 one of the oldest history books in Japan, is completed is the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled sometime in the Nara or early Heian periods The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan's Events By Place Europe The Franks capture Narbonne; the Saracens are completely driven out of France.

794–1185

Classical Japanese literature generally refers to literature produced during the Heian Period, what some would consider a golden era of art and literature. The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The Tale of Genji (early eleventh century) by Murasaki Shikibu is considered the pre-eminent masterpiece of Heian fiction and an early example of a work of fiction in the form of a novel. is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century around the peak of the Heian Period Murasaki Shikibu ( 紫[[wikt 式|式]] 部; c 973&ndashc 1014 or 1025 or Lady Murasaki as she is sometimes known in English was a Japanese Other important works of this period include the Kokin Wakashū (905), a waka-poetry anthology, and The Pillow Book (990s), the latter written by Murasaki Shikibu's contemporary and rival, Sei Shonagon, as an essay about the life, loves, and pastimes of nobles in the Emperor's court. The, commonly abbreviated as, is an early Heian waka Imperial anthology, conceived by Emperor Uda (r This article is about the year AD 905 For other uses of the term see 905 (disambiguation. See Waka and Tanka (disambiguation for other usages Waka (和歌 or Yamato uta is a genre of Japanese poetry is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Sadako during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian Events and Trends Sei Shōnagon writes The Pillow Book. Simple990s Zh-yue990年代 Sei Shōnagon (清少納言 ( c966 -1017 was a Japanese author and a Court lady who served the Empress Teishi /Empress Sadako around the year The iroha poem, now one of two standard orderings for the Japanese syllabary, was also written during the early part of this period. This article refers to the Japanese poem For the video game character see Iroha (Samurai Shodown. A syllabary is a set of written symbols that represent (or approximate Syllables which make up Words A symbol in a syllabary typically represents an optional

In this time the imperial court patronized the poets, most 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.

1185–1600

Medieval Japanese Literature is marked by the strong influence of Zen Buddhism, where characters are priests, travellers, or ascetic poets. Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Chan. Also during this period, Japan experienced many civil wars which led to the development of a warrior class, and subsequent 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. A representative work is The Tale of the Heike (1371), an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the twelfth century. The Tale of the Heike ( Heike monogatari, 平家物語 is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto Clans was one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period ( 794 – 1185 AD on those of their sons and grandsons who were not For other uses of the word Taira see Taira (disambiguation The was a major Japanese clan in historical Japan Other important tales of the period include Kamo no Chōmei's Hōjōki (1212) and Yoshida Kenko's Tsurezuregusa (1331). Kamo no Chōmei (鴨長明 1155 &ndash 1216 was a Japanese author, Poet ( waka) and Essayist. sometimes translated as “ An Account of My Hut ” or “ The Ten Foot Square Hut ” was an important short work of the Kamakura period (1185–1333 in Japan by Yoshida Kenkō (吉田兼好 Yoshida Kenkō; 1283?&ndash1350? was a Japanese Author and Buddhist monk. is a collection of Japanese essays written by the monk Yoshida Kenkō sometime between 1330 and 1332

Other notable genres in this period were renga, or linked verse, and Noh theater. is a form of Japanese collaborative Poetry. A renga consists of at least two or stanzas often many more or is a major form of classic Japanese musical Drama that has been performed since the 14th century Both were rapidly developed in the middle of the 14th century, the early Muromachi period. The Muromachi period ( Japanese: 室町時代 Muromachi-jidai, also known as the Muromachi era, the Muromachi bakufu, the Ashikaga era

1600–1868

Literature during this time was written during the largely peaceful Tokugawa Period (commonly referred to as the Edo Period). The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 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. literally bay - Door, " Estuary " edo once also spelled Yedo or Yeddo, is the officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate Make-up worn by some of its performers The joruri and kabuki dramatist Chikamatsu Monzaemon became popular at the end of the 17th century. Chikamatsu Monzaemon ( Japanese: 近松門左衛門 real name Sugimori Nobumori, 杉森信盛 1653 – 6 January 1725) was a Japanese As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar Matsuo Bashō wrote Oku no Hosomichi (奥の細道, 1702), a travel diary. was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan During his lifetime Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form today meaning "Narrow road to/of the interior" translated alternately as The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Narrow Road to the Interior Year 1702 ( MDCCII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Hokusai, perhaps Japan's most famous woodblock print artist, also illustrated fiction as well as his famous 36 Views of Mount Fuji. was a Japanese Artist, Ukiyo-e painter and Printmaker of the Edo period. is an Ukiyo-e series of 46 large color woodblock prints by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849

Many genres of literature made their début during the Edo Period, helped by a rising literacy rate among the growing population of townspeople, as well as the development of lending libraries. Although there was a minor Western influence trickling into the country from the Dutch settlement at Nagasaki, it was the importation of Chinese vernacular fiction that proved the greatest outside influence on the development of Early Modern Japanese fiction. Rangaku ( Kyūjitai: ja {{linktext 蘭 學}}/ Shinjitai: ja {{linktext 蘭学}} literally “Dutch Learning” and by extension “Western learning” is a body of was a fan-shaped Artificial island in the bay of Nagasaki that was a Dutch Trading port during Japan 's self-imposed isolation ( Sakoku Ihara Saikaku might be said to have given birth to the modern consciousness of the novel in Japan, mixing vernacular dialogue into his humorous and cautionary tales of the pleasure quarters. Ihara Saikaku ( Japanese: 井原 西鶴 1642 – September 9, 1693) was a Japanese Poet and creator of the " floating Jippensha Ikku wrote Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige, which is a mix of travelogue and comedy. was a Japanese Writer in the late Edo period. He lived primarily in Edo in the service of Samurai, but also spent some time in Osaka abbreviated as Hizakurige and known in translation as Shank's Mare, is a Picaresque Comic novel (kokkei-bon written by Jippensha Ikku (十返舎一九 Tsuga Teisho, Takebe Ayatari, and Okajima Kanzan were instrumental in developing the yomihon, which were historical romances almost entirely in prose, influenced by Chinese vernacular novels such as Three Kingdoms and Shui hu zhuan. is a type of Japanese book from the Edo period (1603–1867 that was influenced by Chinese vernacular novels such as Water Margin. The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of Water Margin ( (also Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers or The Marshes of Mount Liang) is one of the Four Great Classical Novels Two yomihon masterpieces were written by Ueda Akinari: Ugetsu monogatari and Harusame monogatari. Ueda Akinari or Ueda Shūsei (上田 秋成 July 25, 1734, Osaka - August 8, 1809, Kyoto) was a Japanese Kyokutei Bakin wrote the extremely popular fantasy/historical romance Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (南総里見八犬伝) in addition to other yomihon. was a late Edo period Gesaku author best known for works such as Nansō Satomi Hakkenden and Chinsetsu Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (南總里見八犬傳 or using simplified Kanji, 南総里見八犬伝 is a Japanese 106 volume epic Novel by Santō Kyōden wrote yomihon mostly set in the gay quarters until the Kansei edicts banned such works, and he turned to comedic kibyōshi. was a Poet, Writer and Artist in the Edo period. His real name was, and he was also known popularly as. was a after Tenmei and before Kyōwa. This period spanned the years from 1789 through 1801. is a genre of Japanese picture book Kusazōshi (草双紙 produced during the middle of the Edo period. Genres included horror, crime stories, morality stories, comedy, and pornography—often accompanied by colorful woodcut prints.

1868–1945

Modern Asian literature

Arabic literature
Bengali literature
Chinese literature
Indian literature
Japanese literature
Korean literature
Nepalese literature
Pakistani literature
Vietnamese literature

The Meiji era marks the re-opening of Japan to the West, and a period of rapid industrialization. Arabic literature ( Arabic: الأدب العربي Al-Adab Al-Arabi) is the writing produced both Prose and Poetry, by speakers The term Bengali literature refers to literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and Indian province of West Bengal Chinese literature extends back thousands of years from the earliest recorded dynastic court Archives to the mature fictional Novel that arose during the Ming Dynasty Indian literature is generally acknowledged as one of the oldest in the world Korean literature is the body of Literature produced in Korea or by Korean writers Nepalese literature refers to the literature of Nepal. This is different from Nepali literature which is the literature in Nepali language (Khas kura Pakistani literature, that is the Literature of Pakistan, as a distinct literature gradually came into being after Pakistan gained its nationhood as a sovereign Vietnamese literature is Literature, both oral and written created largely by Vietnamese-speaking people although Francophone Vietnamese and English-speaking Vietnamese The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July The introduction of European literature brought free verse into the poetic repertoire; it became widely used for longer works embodying new intellectual themes. Young Japanese prose writers and dramatists struggled with a whole galaxy of new ideas and artistic schools, but novelists were the first to successfully assimilate some of these concepts.

In the early Meiji era (1868–1880s), Fukuzawa Yukichi and Nakae Chomin authored Enlightenment literature, while pre-modern popular books depicted the quickly changing country. was a Japanese author writer teacher Translator, entrepreneur and political theorist who founded the Keio University. Nakae Chōmin (中江 兆民 Nakae Chōmin), aka Nakae Tokusuke (中江 篤介 Nakae Tokusuke) (1847 - 1901 was a Japanese Philosopher Then Realism was brought in by Tsubouchi Shoyo and Futabatei Shimei in the mid-Meiji (late 1880s–early 1890s) while the Classicism of Ozaki Koyo, Yamada Bimyo and Kōda Rohan gained popularity. Realism in the Visual arts and Literature is the depiction of subjects as they appear in Everyday life, without embellishment or interpretation Futabatei Shimei ( Japanese: 二葉亭四迷 28 February 1864 – 10 May 1909) was a Japanese author, Translator ( January 10, 1868 - October 30, 1903) was a Japanese author. Kōda Shigeyuki who used the pen name Kōda Rohan ( Japanese: 幸田 露伴 Kōda Rohan; 23 July[[ 867]] – 30 July 1947 Ichiyō Higuchi, a rare woman writer in this era, wrote short stories on powerless women of this age in a simple style in between literary and colloquial. is the pen name of Japanese author, also known as. Higuchi was born in Meiji era Tokyo of Samurai lineage Kyoka Izumi, a favored disciple of Ozaki, pursued a flowing and elegant style and wrote early novels such as The Operating Room (1895) in literary style and later ones including The Holy Man of Mount Koya (1900) in colloquial. 4 November, 1873 – 7 September, 1939) is the Pen name of a Japanese author of novels short stories and Kabuki plays

Romanticism was brought in by Mori Ōgai with his anthology of translated poems (1889) and carried to its height by Tōson Shimazaki etc. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the ( 17 February, 1862 – 8 July, 1922) was a Japanese Physician, translator Novelist and Poet. is the Pen-name of a Japanese author, active in the Meiji, Taishō and early Showa period Japan. and magazines Myōjō and Bungaku-kai in early 1900s. was the title of a monthly Literary magazine first published in Japan between February 1900 and November 1908 Mori also wrote some modern novels including The Dancing Girl (1890), Wild Geese (1911), then later wrote historical novels. Mori Ogai 's classical Novel, The Wild Geese or The Wild Goose (1911–13 雁 Gan) was first published in serial form in Natsume Sōseki, who is often compared with Mori Ōgai, wrote I Am a Cat (1905) with humor and satire, then depicted fresh and pure youth in Botchan (1906) and Sanshirô (1908). was the Pen name of, who is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji Era (1868-1912 is a comical Novel written in 1905-1906 by the Japanese author Natsume Sōseki. He eventually pursued transcendence of human emotions and egoism in his later works including Kokoro (1914) his last and unfinished novel Light and darkness (1916). Kokoro (こゝろ or in post-war orthography こころ is a novel by Natsume Sōseki.

Shimazaki shifted from Romanticism to Naturalism which was established with his The Broken Commandment (1906) and Katai Tayama's Futon (1907). Naturalism is a movement in Theatre, film, and Literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such Tayama Katai (田山 花袋 1872 January 22 - 1930 May 13, born Tayama Rokuya) was a Japanese author. Naturalism hatched "I Novel" (Watakushi-shôsetu) that describes about the authors themselves and depicts their own mental states. I-Novel (私小説 Watakushi shōsetsu or Shishōsetsu is a Literary genre in Japanese literature used to describe writing about oneself Neo-romanticism came out of anti-naturalism and was led by Kafū Nagai, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Kotaro Takamura, Hakushū Kitahara and so on in the early 1910s. is the pen name of Japanese author, playwright essayist and diarist Nagai Sōkichi (永井 壮吉 was a Japanese author, one of the major writers of modern Japanese literature, and perhaps the most popular Japanese novelist after Natsume Sōseki was a Japanese poet and sculptor His father was Kōun Takamura, a renowned Japanese sculptor is the Pen-name of a tanka Poet in Taishō and Showa period Japan. Saneatsu Mushanokōji, Naoya Shiga and others founded a magazine Shirakaba in 1910. was the Pen name of a novelist playwright poet artist and philosopher in late Taishō and Showa period Japan. was a Novelist and Short story writer active in Taishō and Showa period Japan. They shared a common characteristic, Humanism. Shiga's style was autobiographical and depicted states of his mind and sometimes classified as "I Novel" in this sense. Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, who was highly praised by Soseki, wrote short stories including Rashōmon (1915) with an intellectual and analytic attitude, and represented Neo-realism in the mid 1910s. (March 1 1892 - July 24 1927 was a Japanese writer active in Taishō period Japan

During the 1920s and early 1930s the proletarian literary movement, comprising such writers as Takiji Kobayashi, Denji Kuroshima, Yuriko Miyamoto, and Ineko Sata produced a politically radical literature depicting the harsh lives of workers, peasants, women, and other downtrodden members of society, and their struggles for change. is a Japanese author of proletarian literature He was born in Odate, Akita and was brought up in Otaru, Hokkaidō. was a Japanese author. Works One of modern Japan's most dedicated antimilitarist intellectuals Kuroshima Denji is best known for his Siberian stories of the late 1920s--vivid ( 13 February 1899 – 21 January 1951) was a Novelist in Showa period Japan.

War-time Japan saw the début of several authors best known for the beauty of their language and their tales of love and sensuality, notably Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Japan's first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Yasunari Kawabata, a master of psychological fiction. was a Japanese author, one of the major writers of modern Japanese literature, and perhaps the most popular Japanese novelist after Natsume Sōseki The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred was a Japanese Short story writer and novelist whose spare lyrical subtly-shaded prose won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968 the first Japanese author Ashihei Hino wrote lyrical bestsellers glorifying the war, while Tatsuzo Ishikawa attempted to publish a disturbingly realistic account of the advance on Nanjing. was born in Wakamatsu (now Wakamatsu ward, Kitakyushu) and in 1937 he received the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for one of his novels. was a Japanese author. Ishikawa was the winner of the first Akutagawa Prize. Writers who opposed the war include Denji Kuroshima, Mitsuharu Kaneko, Hideo Oguma, and Jun Ishikawa. Mitsuharu Kaneko (Japanese 金子光晴 25 December 1895 &ndash 30 June 1975) was a Japanese poet Jun Ishikawa is the name of Jun Ishikawa (author (1899-1987 a Japanese modernist author Jun Ishikawa (composer, a composer employed

Post-war literature

World War II, and Japan's defeat, influenced Japanese literature. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Many authors wrote stories of disaffection, loss of purpose, and the coping with defeat. Osamu Dazai's novel The Setting Sun tells of a soldier returning from Manchukuo. ( June 19 1909 – June 13 1948) was a Japanese author who is considered one of the foremost fiction writers of 20th-century Japan is a Japanese Novel by Osamu Dazai. It was published in 1947 and is set in Japan after World War II. Manchukuo (ja [[wikt満州国 満州国]] Manshūkoku lit "State of Manchuria " was a Puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Yukio Mishima, well known for both his nihilistic writing and his controversial suicide by seppuku, began writing in the post-war period. was the pseudonym of, a Japanese author poet and Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing is a philosophical position that argues that Existence is without objective meaning Purpose is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by Disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for Samurai. Nobuo Kojima's short story "The American School" portrays a group of Japanese teachers of English who, in the immediate aftermath of the war, deal with the American occupation in varying ways. (b February 28 1915 - d October 26 2006) was a Japanese writer

Prominent writers of the 1970s and 1980s were identified with intellectual and moral issues in their attempts to raise social and political consciousness. One of them, Kenzaburo Oe wrote his best-known work, A Personal Matter in 1964 and became Japan's second winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. is a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works strongly influenced by French and American literature and Literary theory, engage with political social Note all Japanese names in this article are given in Western order with surname last and given name first A Personal Matter (個人的な体験 Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar.

Mitsuaki Inoue had long been concerned with the atomic bomb and continued in the 1980s to write on problems of the nuclear age, while Shusaku Endo depicted the religious dilemma of the Kakure Kirishitan, Roman Catholics in feudal Japan, as a springboard to address spiritual problems. Shūsaku Endō (遠藤 周作 Endō Shūsaku, March 27[[ 923]]&ndash September 29[[ 996]] was a renowned 20th century Japanese author who wrote is a modern term for a member of the Japanese Roman Catholic Church that went underground after the Shimabara Rebellion in the 1630s Yasushi Inoue also turned to the past in masterful historical novels of Inner Asia and ancient Japan, in order to portray present human fate. Yasushi Inoue (井上 靖 Inoue Yasushi, May 6, 1907 &ndash January 29, 1991) was a Japanese Writer whose range

Avant-garde writers, such as Kobo Abe, who wrote fantastic novels such as Woman in the Dunes (1960), wanted to express the Japanese experience in modern terms without using either international styles or traditional conventions, developed new inner visions. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Yoshikichi Furui 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 explored by a rising number of important women novelists. is a noted Japanese author and translator Furui was born in Tokyo and educated at the University of Tokyo, where he majored in German literature and spent his The 1988 Naoki Prize went to Shizuko Todo for Ripening Summer, a story capturing the complex psychology of modern women. The Naoki Prize is a Japanese Literary award presented semiannually Other award-winning stories at the end of the decade dealt with current issues of the elderly in hospitals, the recent past (Pure- Hearted Shopping District in Kōenji, Tokyo), and the life of a Meiji period ukiyo-e artist. is a suburb of Tokyo in Suginami ward, west of Shinjuku. The neighborhood is named after some old temples in the area The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July "pictures of the floating world" is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints (or Woodcuts) and Paintings produced between the 17th In international literature, Kazuo Ishiguro, a native of Japan, had taken up residence in Britain and won Britain's prestigious Booker Prize. Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ ( Kazuo Ishiguro) or ja 石黒 一雄 ( Ishiguro Kazuo) born November 8, 1954) is a British The Man Booker Prize for Fiction, also known in short as the Booker Prize, is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length Novel

Haruki Murakami is one of the most popular and controversial of today's Japanese authors. is a popular contemporary Japanese Writer and Translator. His work has been described by the Virginia Quarterly Review as "easily accessible His genre-defying, humorous and surreal works have sparked fierce debates in Japan over whether they are true "literature" or simple pop-fiction: Kenzaburo Oe has been one of his harshest critics. Some of his best-known works include Norwegian Wood (1987) and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–1995). is a 1987 Novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and sexuality Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) is a novel by Haruki Murakami. The first published translation was by Alfred Birnbaum. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Another best-selling contemporary author is Banana Yoshimoto. is the Pen name of Mahoko Yoshimoto (吉本 真秀子 Yoshimoto Mahoko) a Japanese contemporary Writer.

Although modern Japanese writers covered a wide variety of subjects, one particularly Japanese approach stressed their subjects' inner lives, widening the earlier novel's preoccupation with the narrator's consciousness. In Japanese fiction, plot development and action have often been of secondary interest to emotional issues. In keeping with the general trend toward reaffirming national characteristics, many old themes re-emerged, and some authors turned consciously to the past. Strikingly, Buddhist attitudes about the importance of knowing oneself and the poignant impermanence of things formed an undercurrent to sharp social criticism of this material age. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices There was a growing emphasis on women's roles, the Japanese persona in the modern world, and the malaise of common people lost in the complexities of urban culture.

Popular fiction, non-fiction, and children's literature all flourished in urban Japan in the 1980s. Many popular works fell between "pure literature" and pulp novels, including all sorts of historical serials, information-packed docudramas, science fiction, mysteries, detective fiction, business stories, war journals, and animal stories. Japanese detective fiction is a popular genre of Japanese literature. Non-fiction covered everything from crime to politics. Although factual journalism predominated, many of these works were interpretive, reflecting a high degree of individualism. Children's works re-emerged in the 1950s, and the newer entrants into this field, many of them younger women, brought new vitality to it in the 1980s.

Manga (comic books) have penetrated almost every sector of the popular market. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly They include virtually every field of human interest, such as a multi volume high-school history of Japan and, for the adult market, a manga introduction to economics, and pornography. Manga represented between 20 and 30 percent of annual publications at the end of the 1980s, in sales of some ¥400 billion per year.

Significant authors and works

Famous authors and literary works of significant stature are listed in chronological order below. For an exhaustive list of authors see List of Japanese authors:

Classical literature

Medieval literature

Early-modern literature

Modern literature

Awards and contests

Main article: List of prizes, medals, and awards#Japanese literature

Resources

See also

External links

Online text libraries

Resources

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