This website was created in conjunction with the Michigan State University course, Japanese Literature, and Culture II. This website features Japanese Tanka, Haiku, Tweets, and Japanese Cellphone novels translated into English. It also provides translation rationales, similarities and differences between the works, descriptions of the history of each work, and more.
About The Literature
"Sarada Kinenbi" (Salad Anniversary) is a collection of modern Japanese Tanka poems written by Tawara Machi. This was her first volume collection and was published in 1987, later becoming a hit all over Japan. While Tanka is a traditional form of poetry in Japan, Tawara Machi revolutionized the style by re-inventing it in such a way that it became relevant to the modern reader. Tawara Machi left behind older poem themes and instead began writing about everyday objects and situations. She still honored the traditional 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic meter, however, unlike older poets, didn't hesitate to break from this rule. While she was not afraid to break some of the more traditional rules, Tawara Machi was still able to include “traditional Tanka virtues of concision, evocativeness, and musicality"(Juliet Winters Carpenter).
The "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu" is an anthology of one hundred poems written by prominent poets from the Nara (AD 710-794) and Heian (794-1185) time periods. It was first compiled in the 13th century by a man named Fujiwara no Teika. After he was exiled by his lord he became a monk who spent his time researching historical literature and poetry. During this time he was asked to commission the anthology by his son’s father-in-law, Lord Utsunomiya no Yoritsuna. The Lord wished to use the Hyakunin Isshu as a way to decorate the silk screens in his villa that was located near Mt. Ogura, hence the name of this anthology. This anthology has survived the test of time.
"So Happy to See Cherry Blossoms" is a collection of Haiku that was put together by Mayuzumi Madoka, one of Japans leading contemporary poets. However, the poems themselves were written by survivors of the March 11th, 2011 tsunami, which devastated parts of coastal Japan. The disaster is also known as the triple disaster, due to the 9.0 earthquake that struck Japan and the tsunami and nuclear disaster that ensued. Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry that became popular during the samurai period. They adhere to a 5-7-5 syllabic meter. The anthology was created to share with Japan and the world the experiences and reactions of the ordinary people, of all generations, who were victims of the disaster.
"心に残る 3.11" (to stay in one's heart 3.11) is a collection of tweets from the popular social media platform Twitter. These tweets were a response to the triple disaster that occurred in Japan in March of 2011. The authors of these tweets are a mix of victims and non-victims. Many of these tweets were labeled with the hashtag, #twnovel. As such, these tweets started a new wave of “Twitterature” or tweet literature. The tweets differed from the 3.11 haiku’s as many of these tweets were written with the aim to bring hope to victims and the world.
Japanese cell phone novels are a unique medium for the consumption of literature. Every step of the process is done via the cell phone. These types of novels are also unique in Japan in that Japan is the only country where cell phone novels have had significant success. The first cell phone novels dealt with themes of romance and while that still remains the main theme, other themes have become more popular. Due to the success of cell phone novels in Japan, many of the most popular stories have also become printed novels. Thus, drawing the attention of critics. This attention from critics caused a shift in the genre being seen as one with no literary significance for youthful readers, to being one which holds literary importance in the modern world.
Korizora is the most successful cell phone novel series to hit Japan. This series is about a high school girl who falls in love with a fellow classmate. Through many trials and traumatic events, she learns about love, hardship, and the importance of relationships.
Japanese cell phone novels are a unique medium for the consumption of literature. Every step of the process is done via the cell phone. These types of novels are also unique in Japan in that Japan is the only country where cell phone novels have had significant success. The first cell phone novels dealt with themes of romance and while that still remains the main theme, other themes have become more popular. Due to the success of cell phone novels in Japan, many of the most popular stories have also become printed novels. Thus, drawing the attention of critics. This attention from critics caused a shift in the genre being seen as one with no literary significance for youthful readers, to being one which holds literary importance in the modern world.
Akai Ito is another successful cell phone novel series. This series is about a high school girl who falls in love with a childhood friend, who, in turn, is in love with her elder sister. The story revolves around this love triangle.
Ise Monogatari is a collection of Waka poems and associated narratives dating back to the Heian period (794-1185). The collection has a total of 125 episodes, many episodes have multiple poems, therefore the total poem count is 209. The authors of the episodes and the main character are still unknown to this day, although it is speculated that the main character is a man named Ariwara no Narihira and that this collection is semi-autobiographical. The Ise monogatari is an interesting form of flash fiction as it combines the two main forms, being prose and poetry.
Ise Monogatari is a collection of Waka poems and associated narratives dating back to the Heian period (794-1185). The collection has a total of 125 episodes, many episodes have multiple poems, therefore the total poem count is 209. The authors of the episodes and the main character are still unknown to this day, although it is speculated that the main character is a man named Ariwara no Narihira and that this collection is semi-autobiographical. The Ise monogatari is an interesting form of flash fiction as it combines the two main forms, being prose and poetry.