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: Culture
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…
Income Inequality in Japan
Income inequality has become a common concern. Income inequality is the gap in income different segments of a population. Economists argue about how much, or even if, income inequality helps or damages an economy. Some inequality is healthy for an economy. Social status drives some people to found businesses and work harder, both with rippling…
How to Read Japanese Folktales
Japanese folktales have layers that require some thought to fully understand. Of course, Grimm’s fairy tales and even the Bible require reflection too. Context matters for understanding any sort of literature, but context becomes critical when dealing with stories from cultures other than your own. Culture provides a background and a common language of symbols…
Male Suicide and the Problem of Workism
Japan has seen a recent increase in male suicides in the wake of the pandemic. In September 2020, 705 working-age men between 20-50 years old killed themselves. This is up by 8.6% from last year. Likewise in August, the number was 6.6% higher than in 2019 (Suicide, 2020). The pandemic is driving non-regular workers and…