CLASSIC JAPANESE LITERATURE

This is one of the characterizing subjects within the "Japan" curriculum of the graduate course in "Lingue e Culture dell'Asia e dell'Africa Mediterranea".
The course contributes to the attainment of the teaching goals of the graduate course in the area of language skills and includes also the more specific goals of the cultural and humanities areas.
The main objectives of the course are: 1) to understand the characteristics of women's premodern Japanese literature produced in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) in relation to the historical and social context; 2) to acquire useful tools to conduct bibliographic research and work independently on different topics of Japanese premodern literature ; 3) to develop the judgement faculty and the skills to produce and communicate, both in oral and in written form, the critical and interpretative discourses on the topics of the course; 4) to learn how to write an academic essay effectively.

Knowledge and understanding:
- to know and understand the main authors and works of women's literature in the Kamakura period
- to know and understand concepts and tools from the fields of literary criticism and historiography
- to deepen the knowledge and understanding of historical contexts through the analysis of literary texts
- to know useful tools to conduct independently bibliographic research

Applying knowledge and understanding:
- to analyze and interpret literary texts by using concepts and tools from the fields of literary criticism and historiography
- to critically apply concepts from literary historiography to the historical period studied in the course
- to use bibliographic references in different languages (included Japanese)
- to conduct new and interdisciplinary researches

Making judgements:
- to produce critical judgments on the textual and historical-literary phenomena that are part of the program
- to subject various types of sources (academic and creative texts) to critical examination
- to develop original and innovative theories on the topics introduced during the lessons

Communication:
- to express one's opinion in an effective way
- to re-elaborate and express in an effective way the opinions of other people
- to write independently an academic essays on Japanese literature
- to analyze and translate texts written in Classical Japanese

Lifelong learning skills:
- to know how to conduct bibliographic research
- to know how to critically integrate the study of different materials (notes, slides, manuals, creative texts, academic articles)
- to be able to read and re-elaborate in a synthetic way materials written in different languages
- to refine one's ability to use the online teaching platform
- to know how to write an academic essay in an effective way

A solid knowledge of Japanese political and social history from the XII to XIV century. Good command of Classical and Modern Japanese.

The course casts light on the legal, social and economic position of women in medieval Japan through an examination of marriage and inheritance, in particular through the concept of "ie ( the household as a basic social unit). The close reading of selected works of literature produced from the XII to XIV century will help to reconstruct the life of Japanese women from different social classes in order to understand their upbringing and aspirations, and the kind of solutions they have if their dreams go unfulfilled.
Students will be expected to develop translation skills (expecially from Modern and Classical Japanese) and sharpen their ability to apply philological and critical arguments to literary works. They will also learn how to conduct bibliographic research and how to write a brief academic essay on the topics discussed during the lessons. For this purpose the teacher will explain how to use several databases and websites of national and international libraries. Teacher will also guide students to the gradual process of writing academic essays and to the correct use of editorial rules.

- Atkins, Paul S. (2006) «Nijō v. Reizei: Land Rights, Litigation, and Literary Authority in Medieval Japan». Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 66 (2), 495-529.
- Faure, Bernard (2003) «The Rhetoric of Subordination», Bernard, Faure, The Power of Denial. Buddhism, Purity, and Gender. Princeton: Princeton U.P., 55-90.
- Goodwin, Janet (2000) «Shadows of Trasgression: Heian and Kamakura Constructions of Prostitution». Monumenta Nipponica, 55 (3), 327-368.
- Kimura, Saeko (2007) «Regenereting Narratives: The Confessions of Lady Nijō as a Story for Women's Salvation». Review of Japanese Culture and Society, 19, 87-102.
- Laffin, Christina (2013) «Politics and Poetry: Diary of the Sixteenth Night Moon as a Literary Appeal», Christina, Laffin, Rewriting Medieval Japanese Women. Politics, Personality, and Literary Production in the Life of Nun Abutsu. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 136-172.
- Małgorzata Citko (2009) «Three faces of Lady Nijō, the Authoress of Towazugatari». Silva Iaponicarum, 21-22, pp. 11-60
- Meeks, Lori ( 2010) «Buddhist Renunciation and the female Life Cycle. Understanding Nunhood in Heian and Kamakura Japan». Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 70 (1), 1-59.
- Negri, Carolina (2017) «Come diventare una donna di successo nel periodo Kamakura (1185-1333). Consigli utili dalla Lettera di Abutsu». Annali, Sezione Orientale, vol. 77 (1-2), 262-280.
- Tabuchi, Kumiko (2005) Monogatari no butai o aruku Izayoi Nikki. Tokyo: Yamakawa Shuppansha, 1-9.
- Tonomura, H. (1990) «Women and Inheritance in Japan's Early Warrior Society». Comparative Studies in Society and History, 32 (3), pp. 592-623.
- Wakita, Haruko (1984) «Marriage and Property in Premodern Japan from Perspective of Women’s History». The Society for Japanese Studies, 10 (1), pp. 73-99.
A selection of literary texts in classical Japanese will be available for download from the learning platform (moodle) of this course.

The achievement of the objectives of the course will be verified as follows:
1) Evaluation of a short essay (max 3000 words, 50% of the final mark) focusing on the analysis of one of the topics discussed during the lessons. The essay will be submitted one week before the oral exam and will follow the editorial roles explained by the teacher.
2) Evaluation of an interview (50% of the final mark) which aims to verify students' knowledge of the textual references and critical scholarship of the field included in the section "textual references" of the syllabus. Students will be also expected to prove their ability to read and translate a selection of pieces from literary works in Classical Japanese.

Frontal Lessons with Power Point presentations.

Italian

written and oral