The Confessions of Lady Nijo is an example of Japan’s traditional women’s literature: the diary. Her father was the head of the Minamoto clan: Major Counselor Masatada, who served the Emperor from 1228-1272. Her mother was the niece of an Honorary Empress. Nijo herself was a lady-in-waiting and the concubine to the Retired Emperor Go-Fukakusa…
Category: Japanese Art
The Gossamer Journal
The Gossamer Journal is the memoir of a woman we know only as Michitsuna’s Mother. Michitsuna is the son she had through her marriage with Fujiwara no Kaneie. Michitsuna’s Mother, whom I will call the Gossamer Lady to follow literary convention, was born perhaps around 937 (we don’t know for certain) and died in 995….
Poems from the Frontier of Japan
Most people think of Basho and haiku when they think about Japanese poems. Japanese poetry encompasses more than lovely nature images. The word literature conjures, at least for me, feelings of stuffiness and boredom. It’s easy to forget that what we deem literature, that is, writing representative of a time period, was the love poems…
How to Savor Winter Haiku
Winter haiku intend to make you feel the cold, the quiet, and the loneliness associated with the season. Literature can resonate different meanings for the writer and for the reader. There’s no right way to read, although some may argue that. In fact, Basho, one of Japan’s most famous haiku writers, warns us to “prefer…
Misora Hibari, the First Japanese Pop Idol
Misora Hibari is the first modern Japanese idol. In her day, she was as big as Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and Shirley Temple. She rivaled AKB48 in popularity. Misora Hibari became a symbol of pre-WWII Japanese values and the changes Japan went through during the Occupation years. Teen girl characters in films and media became a…
Winter Haiku Collection
As the heat of summer wears on, winter haiku gives us a chance to think on cold days and all the pleasures of winter. Hot tea. Hot chocolate. Blankets. This collection of haiku includes Basho, Buson, Issa, and a few others. It’s far from exhaustive. Haiku is a style of poetry that requires plain language…