1,000 Years of Japanese Literature Explained Simply

Japan is one of the most unique countries in the world, considered one of the safest, cleanest and most organized countries in the world.

But what is Japanese literature like? What makes Japanese literature so unique? What are some of the most important themes in Japanese literature? And who are some of the greatest Japanese writers.

In this video I’ll answer all these questions and more by looking at 1,000 years of Japanese literature.

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[miel-mklb]

I'm a Japanese high school student. Nowadays in japan, I feel like we don't have opportunity to learn about Japanese traditional culture in detail like this even we living as japanese. Thank you so much for make such a wonderful program!(I'm sorry for my poor English

[TheSalMaris]

Primo, deluxe. You've out done yourself with this survey of Japanese literature. Thank you for this very informative offering

[Sachie]

I’m amazed. No one would believe me if I told them that this was not made by someone who has studied Japanese literature for decades! I was sad that Tanizaki wasn't there, but he was mentioned at the end, so that's good. It was also good that you talked about haiku.

Dazai has always been my favourite. I can't get enough of his self-deprecating humour and honesty. These days, however, I prefer Tanizaki. In one of Tanizaki’s essays he said that the beauty of Japanese expressions is that they say only half of a thing, leaving the rest to the imagination. It was only as an adult that I came to appreciate Kawabata's works, and one of the reasons why Mishima and Murakami are so popular abroad may be that they wrote on the assumption that they would be translated?

(As for the almost complete absence of descriptions of food in The Tale of Genji, the fish available in Kyoto in the Heian period was dried or salted freshwater fish, and the occasional animal meat was also dried, basically a diet of rice to fill you up, and sugar was a precious commodity, so very frugal compared to today.)

My deepest respect and thanks to you!

[jasemalhammadi]

The theme of solitude in Japanese literature can provide some cultural context for the period of Sakoku, when Japan isolated itself from the rest of the world from the 17th to the mid-19th century. I like when you explain how Literature and storytelling shapes the mindset and consciousness of a nation and thereby impacts on its culture and even religion. We are apparently nothing more than storytellers. The persians have the culture of crying and weeping. They cry and wail for every martyr. This can be traced to their cultural past and literature. I hope you can do for other nations about the connection between literature and culture (i.e. Russia, France, Germany, etc).

[purevoid]

Been following your content and watching your videos for past months. Never found a channel more relatable than yours...
Thank you for reading.

[BookMonster]

Fiction Beast always makes the best videos

[alexsocop]

This video is such a treasure, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge on Japanese literature.

[greathighland]

The first book I read was The Tale of Genji. There was a point in my otaku phase I wanted to have a more mature conversation with Japanese art and literature. So I started with history, later reading complex manga in the seinen category— finally arriving in literature. I want to read more modern works that is not as conscious of the Western gaze. And this video lecture was a wonder introduction to start. Thank you.

[DaveKnightJustice]

NO PUEDO ESPERAR AL FINAL....TENGO QUE EXPRESAR MI AGRADECIMIENTO always, masterful presentation and beautiful dissemination of knowledge... the sweetest beast of the Anglosphere... (the day it immerses itself in Spanish literature will be an epiphany...)

[indigosky]

I am a big fan of "Fiction of Beast".
This japanese story is Well Done.... Brilliant!!
I have lived out side of my mother country Japan much longer than I lived there.
More I think about my japanesque in me...makes me very proud of my country.
I wish feels the same among young people in Japan.

[jeaneslick]

Love this, and will be looking for books now
Thank you .

[literatureclassesliterature]

OMG cant wait to watch this ...big fan of you

[cheri]

Thank you, Fiction Beast.
🙏❤️🌎🌏🌍🌿🕊🎵🎶🎵

[gracefitzgerald]

I hope someone told you that you are a beautiful person Fiction Beast. I never read Tales of Genji but I love it when you talk about it. ❤

[thesunrising]

I havent watched this yet but I have to say thank you. There's something about Japanese lit - be it the clsssics or contemp - that just speaks to me.

[calbru]

Do you think the more people focus on the subject, pain and suffering, the more we evolve it to have some kind of cure?

[vimaleshwaranvelayudham]

Kindly speak about Tamil literature it has great and vast histories which is interesting for the viewers

[Joy-focs]

I would like to learn about the culture, history, religion & philosophies (like Shinto) of Japan.
Can you please recommend books for me as a beginner?

[matthewglenguir]

Can you make one for french intellectuals

[calbru]

Answering my own question a little, our ancestors suffered things that we didnt have to so it just carrys on through the future subtly but surely!