Some of Japan's performance traditions, which developed in different historical settings, have survived to this day and continue to coexist and compete for the attention of audiences, both domestically and abroad. This course examines the Japanese literature of three major periods in Japan's history, focusing on how literary works reflect the social and cultural contexts of specific historical periods. We will begin by looking into the Heian period (794-1185), when the work of female authors occupied center stage and some of the canonical texts of the Japanese literary and cultural tradition were born; next we will consider the Medieval period (1185-1600), which saw the rise of the samurai class and the expansion of the domain of artistic creation beyond the confinement of the lavish court culture; and then we will look at the Edo period (1600-1867), when a new bourgeois culture flourished and audiences were greatly transformed. Throughout the course, we will explore how literary and performance traditions have been interrelated in the unfolding of Japanese literary history. We will also explore how the presence of premodern literary traditions continues to be felt today. Class format: primarily of discussions; there will also be some lecture as well as student presentations on assigned topics. Evaluation will be based on class participation, presentations, two short papers, and one longer paper. No prerequisites. All readings and discussions will be in English.

Hour: KAGAYA