Japanese 70 Final

Tales of Moonlight and Rain

*Shiramine* -poet Saigyo + exiled, abdicated emperor Sutoku -Sutoku is very vengeful and brings about troubles for the land, will not rest until Kiyomori's clan is destroyed -Saigyo attempts to convince Sutoku that he is acting in a selfish manner and should be acting in the best interest of the country -fails to convince Sutoku to follow the Buddha way *Chrysanthemum Vow* -Akana (samurai) + Samon (scholar) -Akana arrives in Samon's hometown, is injured, Samon takes care of him. -Akana and Samon develop loving relationship -Akana returns home but is held under house arrest by uncle -Akana kills self to return to Samon by the Chrysanthemum festival -Samon goes to capital and kills Akana's uncle Tanji *Reed Choked House* -Katsushiro + Miyagi -Katsushiro travels to capital to work as a merchant -Miyagi stays loyal to him and his house, war rages over their village but Miyagi stays put -Katsushiro, assuming wife is dead, does not return immediately -one day returns, sees Miyagi still there waiting, they have a loving reunion -Katsushiro wakes up the next day and finds out that Miyagi is actually dead *The Kibitsu Calderon* -Shotaro+Isora (wife)+ Sode (prostitute) -Shotaro +Isora marry despite warnings not to -Isora sells everything for Shorato but he runs away with Sode, live with Sode's cousin - Sode suddenly falls sick and dies (due to ghost of Isora) -Shotaro meets Isora's spirit who threatens to kill him -runs to monk who paints sutra on him, tells him to remain in house for 42 days, demons try to enter his house but fail -his mangled head is found on edge of eaves *A Serpent's Lust* -Toyoo meets woman and lends umbrella to her (Manago) who is widow of Agata -they agree to marry and she gives him sword -sword is actually stolen from nearby temple and Toyoo is arrested from offense -brings police to the house of Manago finds house in ruins, Manogo vanquishes -realizes he was bewitched by a snake in human form -Manago comes to live with Toyoo and his sister until exposed by monk and leaves -Toyoo marries Tomiko, she becomes possessed by Manago, she is exorcised by Tomiko dies *The Blue Hood* -abbott falls for young boy and loves him, boy eventually falls ill and dies -unable to let go, abbott plays with the dead body of boy and eventually eats the corpse -becomes insane, terrorizes local villages by digging up corpses and eating them -Kaian spends night in the temple and gives abbott sutra to recite -goes to chapel year later, finds abbott still reciting the sutra, strikes cape and finds skeleton under the cape

4. Regarding the Japanese Tales, you should know the themes of the stories, such as but not limited to ghosts, spirits, and demons in animal form, yin-yang wizardry, and Buddhist lessons.

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Samurai Fiction (Hiroyuki Nakano)

-Inukai Heishirō is the son of a clan officer. Clan's heirloom (sword given by shogun is stolen by Kazamatsuri) -Heishiro chases Kazamatsuri, but his father sends two samurai after him -Heishiro is wounded (one friend killed) by Kazamatsuri but is saved by Heibei Mizoguchi and stays with him and his daughter, Koharu. Mizoguchi preaches non-killing -Kazamatsuri settles in gambling house owned by Okatsu, who falls in love with him but tries to poison him (bribery from ninjas) and is killed by Kazamatsuri -Kazamasurri captures Koharu to get Mizoguchi to fight him -Mizoguchi reveals he killed Koharu's father and never fights anymore -Mizoguchi stalls Kazamatsuri with wooden sword, only draws real sword when wooden sword is broken -Heishrio vows to marry Koharu if Mizoguchi wins -Mizoguchi defeats Kazamatsuri who jumps off a cliff, his body is nowhere to be found but they find the sword

Stories where they write Sutras and other stuff on bodies

-Onmyoji -Kibitsu Cauldron -HOICHI -Ugetsu

Myth of the Samurai (Harold Bolthio)

-Thesis: representations of the samurai are not realistic throughout Japanese history -popular image of samurai cannot be found in history-does not coincide with reality -*bully-boy period*: samurai most active, constantly fighting, not really a clear-defined class, came from a multitude of backgrounds. often tied to agriculture, had no formal code -these samurai were concerned more with money (land) than honor -not loyal whatsoever -brave but just as brave as a regular solider -*Tokugawa period*: high point of samurai society, less stereotypical than bully boy period -closer to being military class -no war, samurai jobs restricted to guard duty + police work 1` -does not fight --> cannot fight, weapons just for decoration -Bushido developed a this time -needed a sense of purpose, justify their purpose -more loyal, no opportunity to desert masters -lack of jobs for samurai *Hagakure/Bushido* -teaches samurai how to act and dress -death is the best thing a samurai can do -compiled almost a hundred years after -author Yamamoto Tsunetomo had no experience fighting, died in bed

The Cult of Death and Honorific Individuality (Ikegami)

-Tokugawa period: Samurai finding pleasure in urban lifestyles -does not dismiss Hagakure immediately -Hagakure was isolated, did not blend well with more sophisticated samurai -Hagakure='ethnomentality' attitude -death =proper induction into samurai rite -filled with anecdotes of samurai rather than philosophical advise//idolized rebels and outlaws -kenka (quarrels), law vs pride+honor, chose honor -dying, protecting honor should be instinctive nature -loyalty from retainer without any payment (secret love to lord) -proudly asserts the submissiveness of the vessels - homosexual love considered common -emotional devotion to house of the master -more reflective and understanding of the origins of Hagakure but acknowledges its flaws and difference in time -book was too radical for Tokugawa shoggunate

Ugetsu Analysis

-based off of A Serpent's Lust + Reed Choked House

Bushido: Nitobe

-refashioned Bushido cosmopolitan and deeply patriotic at the same time wrote this English Confucianing into the strong underpinning of the samurai code glosses over the military aspects of the bushido uses western philosophies and counteroarts cherry blossom association: cherry bossom is the queen to flowers as samurai is the lord to man Nitobe moves close to an emperor-centered ideology able to transform bushido so that it embodies the soul of all Japanese emperor becomes father figure to the nation introduce Westerners to the way of Japan eventually his chauvinism becomes too much

Hagakure

-tries to establish 'Way of the Samurai' -way of samurai is in death -emphasizes loyalty to master -Jinshi - following your lord into death -haji = shame -way to preserve honor -present self nicely so corpse looks right when you die -gives advice on how to give one's opinion -how to act in public (no yawning) -master > family -detests the current state of samurai

Ringu

-two teenagers (Masami + Tomoko) watch film from Izu, Tomoko dies and Masami ends up in mental institution -Tomoko's 3 other friends died on the same night, faces all twisted in fear -Reiko (aunt) beings to investigate this video, finds Tomoko + friends rented a cabin in Izu -Asakawa travels to cabin, finds tape and watches it, receives phone call saying 7 days + sees reflection of image -Reiko's ex-husband, Ryuji also watches video, take picture of Reiko's face=blurred, Reiko creates copy of video for him. find video to contain dialect from Izu Oshima island, Reiko catches her son watching it. -Reiko+Ryuji go to Oshima island, find out about story of Shizuko who was accused of faking supernatural powers and committed suicide -discover that video was made by Shizuko's daughter Sadako whose supernatural powers surpass her mother -see her murder by her father and uncover her body which they think appeases it -next day spirit KIlls Ryuji and it is implied that the only way to survive the curse is to copy the tape and pass it on

Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi)

Genjuro (potter) +Miyagi Tobei (wants to be a samurai) + Ohama -Genjuro brings back large profits from his pottery as Miyagi is warned by a sage to tell her husband to stop seeking profits - army sweeps through their village as they are uprooted -the four decide to leave by boat but see a sole passenger who warns of pirates -Miyagi left behind on shore with their son -pottery sells well at the market and Tobei takes his profits, leaves Ohama and buys samurai armor -Ohama is raped by soldiers -Lady Wakasa and her servent comes to order pottery, eventually seduces Genjuro who agrees to marry her. Learns that everyone in the manor died and her father still haunts the place. -Miyagi is eventually stabbed in the back by soldiers -Tobei steals severed head of general, is rewarded with a horse, armor. Visits brothel and sees Ohama working there. Ditches armor and they return home together -priest warns Genjuro that he must return home. reveals that Lady Wakasa is dead, paints Sutra on his body. -Lady Wakasa is revealed to be a spirit, to find love because she died before she could -Genjuro reveals he has a wife and children and throws himself out of manor -finds out that the mansion he lived in was all burnt wood -Genjuro returns home -returns home to wife and she is very forgiving -next day finds out wife has been dead

Onmyoji (spirit, magic dudes movie)

Heian period Characters: Hiromasa - high rank, main character who helps Seimei (little goofy)(brave and naive) Seimei - Super magic dude, most powerful good guy in movie. Mother is rumored to have been a magic fox Mikado- (emperor) anxious for a heir, first wife to have a child is Toko, who is daughter of Morosuke (liberal minister) Sukehime - lover of Mikado but emperor loses interest in her after he has a son, so she feels neglected Motokata - rival minister, and father of Sukehime, angered by emperor neglecting her. He turns to Doson for help Doson- head of the Yin-Yang masters who protect the court. Casts a spell on Emperors new son to turn into a deformed monster. Only Yin-Yang master stronger than him is SEIMEI BABY Morosuke - Toko's dad, asks Hiromasa to appeal to Seimei for help Aone- Beautiful immortal once married to Prince Sewara (the brother the emperor 150 years ago) Guards Sewara's tomb to make sure he won't wreak havoc on the current court Sewara- became a dangerous demon after he was exiled by his brother, summoned by Doson in determination to destroy the emperor and assume power over the country *starts intense battle with Seimei*

Hoichi the Earless (1964) (Masaki Kobayashi)

Hoichi-blind minstrel, biwa hoshi, is very adapt at playing -one night, samurai approaches Hoichi and asks Hoichi to play for his lord -Hoichi is instructed to keep this experience secret -Hoichi's disappearance is discovered by priest who instructs others to follow him that night -find Hoichi at cemetary playing for spirits -realize that Hoichi has been possessed -priest paints Hoichi's body with kanji characters of the Heart Sutra -instructed to sit motionless and be quiet -samurai can only see his ears which aren't painted so he rips them off plays tale of Heiki a lot Dan-no-ura: last battle of the Genpei War, Hoichi is instructed to play this

5. Name something ironic about the story of or an incident in the film "Harakiri."

Ii clan clashitims to uphold bushido code but: -their 3 most respected samurai don't commit seppuku -can barely kill a ronin

1. In all of the literature and films that deal with the supernatural, you should consider the wrongdoings of characters who meet with misfortune. That is, what "bad" behavior do they engage in? Consider also the differences in "punishment" for the same bad behavior from story to story. For example, Katsushirō in "The Reed Choked House" (and Genjurō in "Ugetsu") leaves his wife, but he survives in the end.

Katsushiro's punishment is different than Shotaro's punishment. Katsushiro survives in the end because he remained faithful to his wife and tries to return to her, but wasn't allowed to through extraordinary circumstances. Shotaro is punished by death because he betrayed his wife and doesnt complete the proocess of appeasing her spirit.

Aoi Chapter from Tales of the Genji

Lady Rokujo: previously had affair with Genji (cast aside, feels neglected Genji-very popular royalty jostling of carraiges between Rokujo and Aoi Aoi is pregnant and starts to feel sick, they determine that its a spirit possession -it is Rokujo's spirit but she doesn't actively send them -they burn poppy seeds and Rokujo begins to smell like poppy seeds -spirit possession is women's only weapon

Bushido and the Splendid Death (Kamikaze: Japan's Suicide Samurai)

Meiji restoration=new belief that it was important to die for the emperor death=destiny premeditated suicide has often been a theme in Japanese history Kamikaze pilots drew from the Bushido code, formed their own

Ringu (comparison to Okiku)

Okiku: not vengeful spirit, more sad Sadako: not about pacification but about spreading anger and rage, cannot be pacified

3. What are setsuwa? What are its characteristics?

Short stories, usually told orally and contain a moral (didactic literature), majority end with buddhist content

Harakiri (Masaki Kobayashi) (1962)

Synopsis: -Hanshirō arrives at the state of Ii clan and tells them he wishes to commit sepkuku: to stop him Kageyu tells him to story of Motome -*a lot of samurais are bluffing their suicides to receive money from clan* -3 most senior samurai from clan force Motome to kill himself with own bamboo sword -Hanshiro continues with suicide, names 3 most senior samurai to behead him. they're all reported to be sick -calls bushido a facade and recounts true story -Hanshiro's clan abolished by shogun. His lord commits seppkuk, Hanshiro meant to commit it alongside him but in order to stop him Hanshiro's closest friend does it first and assigns Hanshrio guardianship of his son, Motome -family struggles with sickness and poverty, Motome claims to have an idea to raise money -3 senior samurai bring back his body and his bamboo blades to mock his family -asks Saito if he has any words of regret of Motome and if he does, Hanshiro will die quietly -Saito refueses -reveals that he cut off the 3 samurai's topknots (even broke the last one's sword) -big disgrace that even suicide cannot atone for, but they still fake illness and wait for it to grow back -Hanshrio manages to kill many samurai, has to be killed by a gun -Saito tries to cover up this by saying all deaths were caused by illness, forces the 3 samurai to kill themselves

2. Think of all the characters in stories and films who have sutras written on their bodies and why.

The sutras are meant to ward off bad spirits.

Onmyoji Analysis

This movie shows the dead type of spirit (person dies and a spirit is brought forth. Different from the spirits that are brought forth while the person is still living (ex. Rokujo)) First one is when Seimei is called because of the gord (an unusually large fruit shit is hanging from a tree in the court, they believe its bad news. Seimei reveals it had a spell to be a snake when eaten so it would have killed a dude) This spell was done after a middle aged man lost interest in a girl and so she commited suicide. Her angry spirit casted the spell in hopes he would eat it and die. Yin Yang Themes: Chinese worship of the North Star shown Harmony with the natural order of the universe Yin and Yang must be in balance

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" (last 20-25 minutes)

based off Yukio Mishima's life. firm believer in the bushido code -The film culminates in Mishima and his followers taking hostage a General of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. He addresses the garrison's soldiers, asking them to join him in his struggle to reinstate the Emperor as the nation's sovereign. His speech is largely ignored and ridiculed. Mishima then returns to the General's office and commits seppuku.

Analysis of Harakiri

family vs duty -Hanshiro emphasizes his loyalty on his family as opposed to Ii can, emphasis on duty and upholding the bushido clan irony: Ii clan claims to uphold bushido code but: -their 3 most respected samurai don't commit seppuku -can barely kill a ronin motif: Hanshiro brings down armor which is meant to symbolize the glorious history of the House of Ii

biwi hoshi

lute priests-traveling biwa players

setsuwa

oral narratives that surround strange occurrences that always end with a moral and a lesson

ronin

samurai without a master

Hagakure and I (Mishima)

social construct is opposite to what Hagakure says doesn't like the way youth act -feminization of male -lionization of baseball players and television stars -expense account aristocrats -ideal love is undeclared Hagakure=medicine for Japan

Analysis of Samurai Fiction

spoof off of many samurai films -stolen sword: common theme Kazamatsuri/Mizoguchi both actively try to avoid fighting bakamusco: foolish son

kaidan

stories of the strange and mysterious

Okiku

wells: underground + water = liminal places between world Okiku: pacified by monk who says "10" when she counts to 9 -always related/loaclized to well -Aoyama: samurai family --Okiku becomes a romantic image in early 20th century -dominated all future versions of her story and continues to do so -many variations of the story -sometimes is wrongly accused of breaking dishes -sometimes has affair with the head of the house -Themes: attachment to how you die