250 word summary

Heian Court Culture

· The Heian Period was a period of Japanese history that lasted between 794 – 1185 CE

· Named for location of the imperial court, Heian-kyō (modern day  Kyoto (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. )

Social Roles and Gender Roles

· The Heian Period was characterized by strict segregation between different classes

· Note: the upper classes had no interaction with the lower ones: "the vast majority of Japan's population worked the land, either for themselves or the estates of others, and they were burdened by banditry and excessive taxation" (" Heian Period (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. ") 

(Byōdō-in (“Phoenix Hall”) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in Kyoto Prefecture, an 11th century Buddhist temple via Wikimedia Commons)

· Aristocratic men and women’s roles in the Heian Period were also segregated and strictly enforced

· A man’s first marriage might occur when he was twelve or thirteen, and it was arranged by his family

· The wife would remain with her parents—the man could live there with her or visit

· Often resulted in a “marriage for politics” scenario, so men could marry other women later for other reasons --> but women could not

· Class and social standing were determined by a hierarchical system, with the emperor above everyone. Positions were defined in terms of the imperial palace compound, which was located in the north side of the capital city and faced south --> your "level" in the aristocracy determined your closeness or distance to the emperor

· A model based on Chinese systems

Culture & Literature

· The Heian Period is remembered in Japan as a "golden age" (Norton 1349)

· Literature produced in this time-period by the court aristocracy "defined all later standards of taste and embodied a refinement of sensibilities that had timeless appeal" (Norton 1349) 

· Note: literature at this time was written by AND for aristocrats (Norton 1349) 

· Some famous works emerged out of the Heian Period:  Tale of Genji  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. ,  The Pillow Book  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. ,  Izumi Shikibu Diary  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. , and  Kokinshu  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. 

· Many of the famous writers were aristocratic women: "This flourishing of women's writing was largely due to the Fujiwara ensuring that their sponsored women at court were surrounded by an interesting and educated entourage in order to attract the affections of the emperor and safeguard their monopoly on state affairs" (" Heian Period (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. ") 

· What do you think about women's education being tied so closely to marriage and political prospects? 

Watch these website:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnZEoOJ-cxE

read these website:

https://harvardmagazine.com/2002/05/murasaki-shikibu.html

Some Considerations Regarding Tale of Genji

· The Tale of Genji is named after the protagonist --> Genji is the son of the emperor and the lowest-ranking consort

· The novel is divided into 54 chapters, which may be further divided into three general sections:

· Chapters 1 - 33 "describe Genji's career from his birth through his exile and his eventual glorious return to the capital. They focus on the various women with whom he becomes involved in his younger years" (Norton 1381)

· Chapters 34 - 41 "treat the darker years of Genji's life, concluding with the death of Murasaki and Genji's own death" (Norton1381)

· Chapters 42 - 54 "move away from the elegant capital to the countryside" 

· These chapters are NOT excerpted in our textbook

· It may be hard to sympathize with Genji's MANY love affairs, so consider this passage from the introductory section in Norton:

Genji is charismatic, irresistible, and tantalizingly flawed. Charming and handsome, brilliant and ardent, rakish but faithful in his own way (unlike other men, he never abandons any woman he has loved), he is an extraordinary literary figure. Readers may hate Genji or adore him, but we can hardly deny that his creator has fashioned a character who is both larger than life and believably human. (1381)

· As you read, consider: do you find Genji's flaws are part of what makes him "seem human"? Why or why not?