Nationalism in a Samurai World: Week 7

By: AJ Witte

This past week we were tasked with reading several more Japanese stories, chief among: “The Tale of the Dirt Spider”. A story which revolves around the hero named Raiko, a hero who is based off of the real Kyoto bureaucrat who was the governor of several provinces near the capital of Japan. In this story Raiko and his retainer Tsuna find what is a monstrous spider who is eventually revealed to have eaten tens if not hundreds of Japan’s people. They eventually kill the spider uttering the names of their gods and receive land and recognition for their valor and accomplishment. This reading can be taken a few different ways, but as the textbook suggests, the great spider is meant to represent those who oppose the throne. The word for dust spider refers to such: “The word Tsuchigumo (eart, or dirt,spider ) appears in ancient texts like Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, 712), where it refers to rebels afgaisnt the throne, and it probably derives from tsughigomori (dirt dweller), in reference to the pit housing in which those rebels may have lived” (Keller and Shirane 23). The dust spider being a metaphor for those who are outsiders is a very interesting one as during this period of Japanese history we see quite a lot of strife and rebellion. Whether this be from the rebellion of Taira no Masakado in 939 to the growing power of the warrior class, the samurai. We see a large shift of power away from the traditional norms and status quo of the emperor to these outsider influences and powers. I believe that the uttering of the traditional gods of Amaterasu and Sho Hachiman, “It wa strong – strong enough to move boulders and it tried to wound them. Raiko prayed to Amaterasu and Sho Hachiman, ‘Out country is a divine land protected by the gods, and the emperor rules through his ministers. I am his vassal and descended from kings, born into a house blessed with the imperial lineage,” (29). To me this declaration reads as a return to form. A renewal of the old ways and to a form of power that is no seemingly drifting away. It can almost be read as a kind of propaganda piece against the changing times. It is interesting to me that in every culture we can see this kind of nationalistic story telling from Shogunate Japan all the way to modern day United States.

A photo of the Dust Spider from the story: The Tale of the Dust Spider. It has a demon like face with 3 eyes and a gaping red mouth with fangs, and horns.
A photo of the Dust Spider

Sources:

“The Tale of the Dirt Spider.” In Monsters, Animals, and Other Worlds: A Collection of Short Medieval Japanese Tales, edited by Keller Kimbrough and Haruo Shirane, 23-30. Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia Univ. Press 2018.

The Various Intricacies of Navigating the Heian Court… Or High School Week 6

By: AJ Witte

This week we mainly focused on the Tale of Genji, one of the single most important pieces of Japanese Fiction of all time. It is even considered to be a foundational piece of world literature as well. It focuses around the titular character of Genji, the child of the emperor and one of his lesser liked ladies in waiting, and the various escapades he goes throughout his life and even eventual death where we transition to the lives of his various children. The first reading of the week focused on Genji’s mother, the lady in waiting: named The Kiritsubo Lady. Through The Kiritsubo Lady and the opening of The Tale of Genji we are given an eye opening glimpse into just what it might have been like in a Heian court. If I were to describe the Heian court in a singular word, it would most likely have to be ‘High-School’, “The senior nobles and courtiers averted their eyes in disapproval. ‘Nobody wants to watch such excessive displays of affection. This is the kind of thing that led to turmoil and trouble in China,” (Helen Craig McCullough). The term “High School” for the uninitiated conjures images of gossiping teenagers taking turns passing judgment on the most recent drama. It makes sense though, that the Heian court would be so akin to a highschool hallway drama session as so much of what nobility is is based around superficial status, who is in a relationship with who, who’s father has more wealth than the rest, who’s wearing the newest fashion. This is why I would go so far as to say that based on what I have read so far of this tale in class, The Tale of Genji to me reads far more like a critique of the absurdity of court life.

This image shows a cover of a translation of the Tale of Genji. The cover features a woman dressed in various layers of kimono which range from beautiful purple floral patterns to a hatch green pattern. She is taking up the entirety of the right half of the cover, with the title and author signings taking the left, with the text "The Authentic First Translation of the World's Earliest Novel" printed beneath the title.
The cover of a copy of The Tale of Genji by: Murasaki Shikibu

I believe this to be compounded upon within another reading we were given which follows a conversation between the titular Genji and his fellow noblemen speaking on what makes a perfect woman. I feel that the author being a woman of the court herself, may be subtly or overtly depending on who you ask, shedding light on and by extension poking fun at just how absurd men sound when talking with the fellas about what makes a “true woman.” True woman of course being an unachievable goal as stated by the circles that Genji and his friends seem to speak in, “What would be amazing would be to discover an unbelievably sweet, appealing maiden shut up in a lonely, dilapidated, vine-choked dwelling, her very existence unknown to others. We would marvel at finding her there and would feel strangely drawn to her just because of the way she has confounded our expectations,” (McCullough 44). The men wish to find themselves what can be considered a “diamond in the rough” undiscovered and by extension untouched by any other man. The idea of teaching or training a woman is often brought up within this reading, giving us the express idea that women in the Heian court are merely status symbols or projects waiting to be taken on. I believe that Murasaki Shikibu is commentating on just how absurd these men sound when speaking on the intricacies of love and courting a woman.

Sources:

Helen Craig McCullough, translator. Genji & Heike: Selections from The Tale of Genji and The Tale of Heike, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1994.

Helen Craig McCullough, translator. Genji & Heike: Selections from The Tale of Genji and The Tale of Heike, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1994.

Mono No Aware in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter Week 5

By: AJ Witte

This image shows Kaguya Hime as she is ascending back up towards the kingdom of the moon. Kaguya-Hime wears a pink kimono as she is speaking with a man presumably the bamboo cutter, her father who wears a green kimono with a white skirt. He seems to be pleading with her.
Kaguya-Hime

This reading which was the telling of the Japanese folk story “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” focused on the idea on the Japanese idea of mono no aware, or the idea that we should find beauty in the passing of things. Or rather the fact that there is beauty in the impermanence of things. The bamboo cutter himself I feel embodies this idea far better than any other character, as he becomes inseparable from his newfound daughter, whom we eventually find out is the daughter of the moon kingdom whom must eventually make her return as she is serving out a sentence amongst the lower humans. We see his gradual shift from loving father figure whom he wants to see move on to quasi obsessed man who is ready to die for his daughter, “What’s that you say? I found in a stick of bamboo when you were no bigger than a poppy seed, and I have brought you up until now you stand as tall as I. Who is going to take my child away? Do you think I’ll let them?’ He added, ‘If they do, I will kill me.’” (Haruo Shirane 180). While it is completely understandable that a father may be distraught to find his daughter leaving his nest so to speak, but The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter at least to me is a cautionary tale as to not hold too tightly for fear of loss, but rather to find beauty in that loss. I think that this ties all the way back to one of our original conversations about Japanese fatalism where in there is a certain type of determinism found in much of the culture in Japan. To me mono no aware and by extension The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is a natural progression of such an idea. In the story we see that it is fated that the bamboo cutters daughter must return back, there is no escaping that. And rather than be sad, to rather find beauty in the passing. It is not terrible to lose, but rather it is a time of transition and beauty in transition. I would also be remised if I were not to mention just how important a story such as this can be, as in the hit series Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the main characters Sokka falls in love with a woman who turns out to be the daughter of the moon, and as such must eventually return to her rightful place as the moon in order to protect her people. Sokka while heartbroken finds beauty in her sacrifice and in the fact that she must leave, a far more apt usage of mono no aware, as compared to the more cautionary tale of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

This image depicts Sokka, one of the main characters from the telivision show Avatar the Last Airbender kissing a flying princess yue, a love interest of Sokka who is the daughter of the moon. Sokka is kneeling by a pond where two koi fish swim creating a ying and yang symbol. Princess Yue is floating in front of him kissing him and taking his face in her hands.
Sokka and the moon princess Yue, from the television show Avatar the Last Airbender

Sources:

“The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” (Taketori monogatari).In Traditional Japanese Literature : An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600. Abridged ed., edited by Haruo Shirane. Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. 

The Importance of A Good Story: Week 4

By: AJ Witte

How does a religion take over a country? A rather odd question, but one that must be asked time and time again as throughout history we see religions of all forms wash over the lands. For the sake of this article we ask how did Buddhism wash over and create an effective death grip over Japan. I think that at first glance there is a rather simple cut and dry answer: it simply happens. Over time public opinion of said religion grows and grows until eventually it becomes the dominant, seeping its way into all aspects of the country. However, I think that through our reading, specifically our reading regarding the traveling priest Keikai and his Record of Miraculous Events we see an important factor that I feel is paramount to the success of any religion taking hold in a country. That being the need to amaze its followers. While a silly statement on its face, I think that a specific phrase from the reading gives us everything we need in order to believe such a thing: “In the process, local folk stories and anecdotes became Buddhist parables. Whereas the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki combined many of the local and provincial myths and legends into a larger state mythology, Buddhism similarly began to absorb local folk stories, converting them to its own use and producing the kinds of Buddhist anecdotes found in the Nihon ryoiki. As a consequence, the interest of a number of the stories in the Nihon ryoiki is not in the Buddhistic message, which is usually found at the end, but in the story itself, which was erotic or violent,” (William Th. De Bary 118).  These stories did as much to dazzle its audience as much as to bash you over the head with its message. Many of these stories are quite amazing, speaking of a young woman being saved from a marriage with a snake by giant crabs to ne’er-do-wells being turned into ox people in the night. I feel that even if as stated by the author that many were far more interested in stories themselves rather than the messaging, that is still an audience willing to listen to you weave your tales. People who may then share those stories with their neighbors and their neighbors to theirs until you have unknowingly spread Buddhist parables with the entirety of the known country. A religion without story or interest is simply another dry self-help book rotting on the shelf. You must rope your flock in and give them a reason to want to join your cause.

This image shows a large bronze crab statue. The crab is in a rather offensive stance, with its claws raised while standing on its back two claws. The back of the crab facing the camera seems to have a face with two eyes a large mustache.
A Large Bronze Crab Statue

Sources:

Keikai, Record of Miraculous Events in Japan. In Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume One: From Earliest Times to 1600. 2nd edition, edited by William Th. de Bary. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.

The Importance of Preparing for the Tough Road Ahead Week 3

By: AJ Witte

This image contains a painting of Prince Shotoku, a very important political figure during the Asuka period of Japan in the 7th century. He is depicted wearing a flowing orange robe with his arms followed in front of one another, holding what appears to be a fan in his left hand. He is wearing his hair up in a bun. At his waist lies an ornate belt from which a ceremonial sword is held. There is a slit running up the sides of his robe revealing his legs and multicolored pants underneath.
An image of Prince Shotoku

When we look at our modern day American political landscape I can only think of one word to describe it: that being divided. I could hardly believe that there ever will or even could be perfect harmony among the ruling parties of the United States. Constantly at one another’s throats until the other capitulates to the whims of the victor. That is why, it is so interesting and unendingly stupefying that Japan has been able to exist for as long as it has, with only one ruling governmental body. The United States has only been around for some 250 years and we were birthed from the bloodshed of a war of independence, stained our lands with the bloody rivers of a civil war due to our political instability. It appears we have built our society on unstable ground as it is. In the reading which covers The Seventeen-Article constitution of Prince Shotoku, it becomes evident just how such a system can come about, and therefore strengthened. It speaks of how Prince Shotoku sought to create a Japanese state based off of Confucian ideals which seemed to have been successful in China. Personally, there is one article in particular that stands out to me as being the most interesting and insightful. That article being article number one interestingly enough. The most important statements read as such: “Harmony is to be valued, and contentiousness avoided. All men are inclined to partisanship, and few are truly discerning… But when those above are harmonious and those below are conciliator and there is concord in the discussion of all matters, the disposition of affairs comes about naturally,” (William 51). This first article in particular stands out to me as it seems accepts the fact that there is and will inevitably be disorder. There will be disagreements amongst subjects. However, if the ruling power stays vigilant and the subjects below stand as a strong moral center, then the society as a whole will prosper and grow ever closer to reaching harmony. I read it as harmony is a goal to strive for, not necessarily the natural state of all things. I believe that when we expect all to be good and balanced in the world is when we start to go awry. It is far better to expect a tumultuous path and prepare for it rather than be blind to the troubles we will inevitably face.

Sources:

“The Seventeen Article Constitution of Prince Shōtoku”. (from: de Bary, William Th. ed. Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume One: From Earliest Times to 1600. 2nd edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002)

The Importance of Myth and Archaeology in a Modern World

AJ Witte

A painting of Izanagi and his wife Izanami residing in the clouds above the land of Japan, Izanagi holding the jeweled spear as he dips it what is soon to be various islands of Japan. He is wearing traditional orange clothing, his hair and beard unkempt. Izanami watches on beside him in traditional white clothing, her long black hair falling down to her shoulders.
A painting showing Izanagi and Izanami, his wife in the clouds

One of the questions that we were meant to ponder this week was: “why look at myths in a history class?” I think that this is a question that I have also pondered for much of academic career. For so long I have thought of myths as simple stories passed down throughout history for generations in the future to remember their ancestors and roots. But through reading the Japanese creation myths I realized just how much deeper myths can truly go, sometimes in unfortunate and negative ways. This specific Shinto myth we read was that of the creation of many of the Japanese islands and that of the greater Shinto pantheon. Stories of great spears being dipped into the oil of the world, a god smearing excrement in his sisters palace, a story which seems to put in stone the idea that women come second to men. This last one is one that I wish to focus on for the time being, as it sheds light on how mythology can create and therefore influence social order. Izanagi and his wife Izanami are responsible for the creation of many of Japan’s beautiful islands. However, there is a catch to this, that before birthing said islands into the world, Izanagi must speak first when circling the heavenly pillar before  procreation. Izanami the first go around spoke first and gave birth to foamy islands and false creations, with the greater deities stating that it is “is incorrect that the women should speak first.” In this we learn something. Women come second to men. Even before the world was created this seemed to be the case. Why then should we question the gods? Through the myth of Izanagi and Izanami we have established a social tradition which to this day has not unraveled to its fullest. That is how I learned that myths are not simply pretty stories to tell one’s history, but to serve a clear and concise purpose. To tell us how the world was and should be.

An artistic rendition of the sun goddess Himiko from the video game Tomb Raider. She has an ornate gold crown. She is also draped in a flowing red and white Kimono with gold trimmings. Her hair is tied back into a bun with golden earrings falling to her shoulders.
An artist’s rendition of the empress Himiko from the video game Tomb Raider.

For our Friday class, we were tasked with reading articles surrounding the ancient emperor Himiko and her island Yamatai. My specific article dealt with using archaeological finds to unearth some clues to the whereabouts of this mysterious island. I say mysterious island, as since its first mention, we have not been able to decipher the exact location of Yamatai. However, my article taught me a rather important lesson. That being to not take the simple baubles for granted. I think that for me, for a long time my eyes would glaze over after glancing paragraph after paragraph all talking about every seemingly insignificant blade of grass. However, after reading this article I see the importance of the saying: “no stone left unturned.” As even a simple brooch can tell a story so intricate it would make your head spin. It is a lesson to not overlook anything, especially the at first intensely boring, as you will never know what stories this boring blade of grass may hold.

Week 1: What Makes A Complex Society And the Importance of Where You Find Yourself

AJ Witte

Vintage illustration of Japanese agricultural workers harvesting rice, Japan 19th Century

https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/japan-old-old-fashioned-agriculture

One of the major readings that we read this week was a reading focused around the central question of: What makes a complex society? This at first glance is a rather simple question. Your head is immediately filled with images of machinery automating jobs, grand bazaars filled to the brim with traders and buyers, or maybe even bustling cityscapes like modern-day New York or Beijing. But while reading a single quote stood out to me which illuminated everything: “We assumed that you needed someone to coordinate your activities for purposes of defense against outsiders, no more and no less: so some of you undertook to go on cultivating and other undertook to become coordinators. This was your first division of labour, and its consequences were immensely your society continued to change. And all the subsequent changes were further divisions of labour: more and more people went into special occupations.” (Crone 17). This is an intensely interesting and important note. What I believe Patricia Crone is able to get at here is the first inklings of “freedom” within a society. Freedom from simple survival. If you can freely choose to specialize your life from simple survival to that of any other course, you are now a complex society. In other words, freedom is what makes us complex. I believe this is to be true as if you are chained to survival how can you ever hope to achieve and create culture? It is the culture of animals to survive, but it is the culture of humanity to live.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2172.html

The first reading of the semester was a general overview of the geography of Japan. We saw just how mountainous the landscape is, the country being roughly 86 percent mountain to 14 percent lowland, a difficult terrain to navigate for sure. We also learned more importantly, in my opinion, just how and why the area is so prone to natural disaster. The Archipelago of Japan is sat on the meeting place of 3 tectonic plates, the continental Eurasian plate, and two oceanic plates: the pacific plate, and the Philippine plate. This as a result has created a truly horrifying level of tectonic activity. Earthquakes have rocked the entire archipelago for the entirety of the history of what we call Japan and has had massive waves fueling what can be considered Japanese fatalism. Simply, an acceptance of what may come as a higher power has predestined the outcome. I think that this is a very interesting example of just how important your geological location is in influencing how your society’s cultural conscience can develop. I think that many non-historians overlook just how important these things are and assume that culture and society develop beyond your generalized location. To me however, it seems that Japan is an example of just how important these things are.

Sources:

Crone, Patricia. Pre-Industrial Societies: Anatomy of the Pre-Modern World. London: Oneworld, 2015
Barnes, Gina. “Japan’s Natural Setting”. In Japan Emerging: Premodern History to 1850, edited by Karl Friday. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2012.