Japanese Ancient Chinese Literature and Chinese Literature: Anthology of Japanese Sinology

Author: (Japanese) Shozo Goto
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Japan was the first country without its own writing system and used Chinese characters introduced from China. Chinese characters were just one form of Chinese culture introduced to Japan, along with books. Through reading Chinese books, ancient Japanese people absorbed the thoughts, literature, and laws of the Chinese. When Japanese people adopted Chinese culture, literature accounted for the vast majority. Based on reading and learning Chinese literature, the Japanese began to imitate and create Chinese-style poetry and prose using Chinese characters. We collectively refer to all literary works written in Chinese characters as "Chinese literature." The term "Chinese literature" in the title of this book refers to this meaning. Professor Shozo Goto is an authority in the field of Chinese literature in Japan and has deep expertise in the study of Chinese literature during the Heian period, especially in the organization and excavation of ancient documents. This book selects a collection of outstanding works closely related to Chinese literature from Professor Goto's extensive research achievements. The content includes the historical exchanges between figures or books of China and Japan, discussions on the influence of Chinese literature on Heian-period Chinese literature, and analyses of how the Japanese absorbed, developed, and formed their own unique styles of Chinese literature.