Japanese literature: Did you mean...?

This Japanese statuette of Buddha dates from the 12th century CE and the Heian Period. It was excavated at Mt. Nachi in Wakayama, Japan, and it is made of gilt bronze. (Tokyo National Museum)

This is a selection from the "Gogatsu tsuitachi kyo" compilation, vol. 39, and it details the rules and regulations for monks in ancient Japan. It dates from 740 CE, which corresponds to the Nara period in Japanese history. It was made from...

A traditional bamboo whisk (chasen) and bowl (chawan) used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

This Japanese funerary vessel is an example of Sue wares, originally made for tombs. They were probably used for feasting and drinking at the time of the funeral and then buried with the person who had died. They were crafted on a potter's...

Courtly Love (Amour Courtois) refers to an innovative literary genre of poetry of the High Middle Ages (1000-1300 CE) which elevated the position of women in society and established the motifs of the romance genre recognizable in the present...

The Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”, composed 977-1010 CE) is a medieval epic written by the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi (l. c. 940-1020 CE) in order to preserve the myths, legends, history, language, and culture of ancient Persia. It is the longest...

The creation story of Japan illustrated with Japanese Art. This video describes the birth of the gods Izanagi, Izamani, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Takehaya Susanoo, and why the emperor is believed to be divine.

The Impact of China and Buddhism on Japanese art during the Asuka and Nara Periods.

The samurai (also bushi) were a class of warriors that arose in the 10th century in Japan and which performed military service until the 19th century. Elite and highly-trained soldiers adept at using both the bow and sword, the samurai were...

In which John Green teaches you about Homer's Odyssey. If it was Homer's If Homer was even real. Anyway, that stuff doesn't really matter. John teaches you the classic, by which I mean classical, epic poem, the Odyssey. The Journey of Odysseus...