Exploring the Essence of Chinese and Japanese Literature

Presented By:
Group 1
CHINESE
and
JAPANESE
LITERATURE
East Asia

Everything about China is on a vast
scale. It is the world’s third-largest
country in area and has the largest
population. It also has the world’s oldest
continuing civilization, one that has been
in existence for more than 3,500 years.
The people of ancient China—
philosophers, artists, writers, and
scientists—created a rich, brilliant
culture. Their ideas, art, literature, and
inventions command respect and won-
der and still affect life today.
A Land of Dramatic Contrasts -
China’s landscape includes towering
mountains and arid deserts, green
hills, and wide plains. Only about
one-tenth of China’s land is suitable
for farming. For this reason, China’s
early civilizations developed along its
two major river systems, the Yellow
River in the north and the Yangtze
River in central China.

1. The Development of Writing - In 1936,
archaeologists at an ancient site called An-yang
discovered thousands of turtle shells covered with a
form of writing called pictographs—simplified drawings
of objects. As shown on the right, these shells dated
to about 1400 B.C. The writing system used in China
today developed from this pictographic writing.

2. Border Protection - In the third century B.C., the
first Great Wall of China was completed. Winding along
the long northern border of China, the wall was a
defense against invading tribes. Made of stone and
earth, each section of the wall rose to an average height
of 23 to 26 feet and in places stretched wide enough for
five horses to gallop side by side along the top.

3. The Rule of Emperors - In the third century B.C.,
the leader of the state of Ch’in made himself the first
emperor of China. He expanded China’s borders and
created a great empire that would set the course of
China’s future. As a testament to his impressive power,
the emperor was buried in an enormous tomb guarded
by an army of 6,000 life-size terra-cotta soldiers, like
those seen to the right.

4. The Silk Trade - Silk has been produced in China
since about 3000 B.C. About 206 B.C., camel caravans
loaded with silk and other luxury goods began to travel
along what came to be called the Silk Roads, the long
routes between China and Europe. Many Chinese
merchants made fortunes carrying silk to the West.
Trade along the Silk Roads also resulted in interaction
among a wide variety of cultures.

A dynasty consists of a series of rulers from a
single family. Reading about some of the
important dynasties in ancient China will help
you understand the events that influenced and
inspired Chinese writers and their culture.

Chinese history is marked by a succession of dynasties, beginning with
the great Shang dynasty. The Shang were warrior nobles headed by a
king. These rulers were known for their love of warfare and hunting.
The people had great loyalty to their king, their families, and their
ancestors, whom they honored with sacrifices. The Shang dynasty
produced a stunning culture. Shang artisans learned how to make cloth
from silk and excelled in bronze working. Their beautiful weapons and
ceremonial vessels are among the finest ever made. The Shang dynasty
was the first to leave written records.
Shang
c. 1600–1050 B.C.

In about 1050 B.C., a people called the Chou overthrew the Shang and
established their dynasty. It was to be the longest in Chinese history. The
early years of the Chou dynasty saw great expansion and the
establishment of feudalism. Under this system, different regions of the
country were controlled by lords who were loyal to the king and protective
of the local people. Confucius viewed the early Chou culture as a model
society. The strength of the Chou dynasty lessened as tribes invaded from
the northern frontier. The feudal lords also began to fight one another. As
a result, the decline of the dynasty was called the Warring States period.
Chou
c. 1050–221 B.C.

The state of Ch’in (from which the name China derives) defeated the Chou
dynasty, and in 221 B.C. the Ch’in king declared himself Shih Huang Ti, or
First Emperor. Determined to unify the country, he subdued internal conflicts
and conquered invaders. He also centralized the government, built an
extensive network of roads, and set uniform standards for weights and
measures. Although the First Emperor’s achievements brought important
changes, his methods were cruel. He forced vast numbers of peasants to
build the Great Wall. Many of them died during construction. He murdered
scholars and burned books. The revolt led to the fall of the dynasty three
years after Shih Huang Ti’s death.
Ch’in
221–207 B.C.

Following the downfall of the Ch’in dynasty, the Han dynasty came
to power. This dynasty, which ruled China for more than 400 years,
had a lasting influence on China’s government, education, culture,
and commerce. The Han is divided into two periods, the Former and
the Later. The Former Han was a glorious period of innovation and
prosperity. Chinese commerce expanded, opening up the Silk Roads
to most of Asia and, via India, all the way to Rome. Chinese
agriculture, technology, arts, and literature also flourished.
Han
206 B.C.–A.D. 220

Nevertheless, social and political unrest ended the Former Han about
A.D. 9. The Han were restored to power in A.D. 25, and the first
decades of the Later Han were also prosperous. The religion of
Buddhism spread from India to China, where it took root. Within a
century, however, political, economic, and social problems began to
weaken Han rule again. In A.D. 220, the last emperor abdicated, and
the Later Han dynasty disintegrated into three rival kingdoms.
Han
206 B.C.–A.D. 220

During the four centuries after the Han dynasty collapsed, many minor
dynasties rose and fell before the T’ang dynasty came to power. The T’ang
rulers again expanded the Chinese empire. They promoted foreign trade and
improvements in agriculture, and they restored China’s vast bureaucracy and
civil service system. The T’ang period was a golden age, especially in poetry
and painting. The capital city, Ch’ang-an, grew in wealth and population to
become the most sophisticated city of its time. Scholarship thrived. The
powerful Chinese woman emperor Empress Wu ruled during this period. The
T’ang empire became subject to rebel attacks under the rule of later, weaker
emperors. In 907, it fell to rebel forces.
T’ang
A.D. 618–907

After the T’ang dynasty ended, rival warlords divided China into
separate kingdoms. In 960, one general reunited China and
established himself as the first Sung emperor. Although the Sung
empire was smaller than the Han or T’ang, it produced a thriving
culture. Education spread. Literature, calligraphy, and painting
flourished. The Chinese carefully studied human anatomy and
made charts and models of the body.
Sung
A.D. 960–1279

Among the most significant inventions of this era were
movable type, paper money, and the use of the magnetic
compass for sailing. The position of women declined during
this era, however. Foreign trade especially ocean trade
expanded under the Sung emperors. Chinese culture spread
throughout Southeast Asia, and China became a major sea
power. Yet despite economic prosperity and technological
advances, the Sung dynasty fell to the Mongols in 1279.
Sung
A.D. 960–1279

Chinese society in ancient times had a strict class
structure, with the emperor at the top and the lowliest
workers at the bottom. Each of the four main social
classes, the rulers, peasants, artisans, and merchants
were ranked according to their contribution to society.
People and Society

The emperor was the central figure of authority in ancient China. Powerful
and wealthy, he presided over political, social, and religious rituals. Below
the emperor were members of the royal family, nobles, and scholar-
officials in the imperial civil service. Chinese emperors often rewarded
loyal followers with posts in the civil service. During the T’ang and Sung
dynasties, however, a system of written examinations was developed to
select officials. Applicants—primarily sons of wealthy landowners—studied
and were tested on the Confucian classics. Successful scholars then joined
the elite and privileged ranks of administrators and teachers.
Rulers

The mainstay of ancient Chinese society was the peasants, the
farmers who raised the food for the empire. During the Chou
dynasty, most peasants labored for wealthy feudal landowners,
to whom they gave a large share of their harvest. As this system
declined, peasants began to own their land but still owed part of
their yearly crops to the government. Peasants ranked just below
the ruling class because they performed an important role in
Chinese society. However, they led difficult lives.
Peasants

Typically, they lived in simple, one-room houses with dirt floors
and little furniture. They had only a few tools. Every year, they
faced devastating floods and droughts. The peasants were often
required to supply labor or military service to the government.
Emperors built roads and canals with this source of labor and
filled the ranks of China’s vast armies.
Peasants

Artisans are craftspeople who work with their hands. Skilled artisans in ancient
China made useful items such as tools for agriculture, weapons for war, furniture,
and household goods. They also made luxury items silk, porcelain, and carved jade
for the upper classes and export. Artisans who produced luxury items tended to be
wealthy themselves, but those who produced everyday necessities were not.
Beginning in the Shang dynasty, Chinese emperors controlled the supply of raw
materials that artisans used. Although some artisans worked independently, others
labored in government-owned factories. Artisans produced many of the works that
were placed in the tombs of emperors and noblemen. These included eating
utensils, jewelry, textiles, tools, and weapons. Archaeologists continue to discover
rich treasures in ancient burial sites.
Artisans

Women were subservient to men in ancient Chinese society. Boys
alone attended school and took the civil service exam. Few girls
were educated unless their fathers taught them how to read and
write. Marriages were arranged, and a girl as young as 14 might
leave home to live with her husband’s family. In the Han and
T’ang periods, some privileged women had a few more freedoms
than in other dynasties. In T’ang times, women rode horses,
hunted, played polo, and participated in politics.
Women in Ancient China

By the Sung period, however, the status of women had declined
again, especially among the upper classes in cities. There a woman’s
work was deemed less important to the family’s prosperity and
prestige. One sign of women’s changing status was the custom of
binding the feet of upper-class girls to keep their feet from growing.
The practice spread during the Sung period and continued into the
20th century. Women with bound feet could never walk normally.
Their condition reflected the wealth and position of their families
since they were unsuited for manual labor.
Women in Ancient China

The people on the lowest rungs of Chinese society were not
considered important or worthy enough to have a class of their
own. Such people included servants, migrant laborers, professional
soldiers, entertainers, butchers, and tanners. The Chinese also had
slaves. During T’ang times, nomads from Mongolia and Central
Asia who were captured in war were forced into slave labor. All
these groups were regarded as inferior to the four main classes of
society and thus were excluded from the civil service examination.
Servants and Slaves

Merchants sold the goods that artisans made. Because they did
not actually produce anything, they occupied a low place on
China’s social ladder. Strictly controlled by the government,
merchants were allowed to sell only certain goods, such as silk,
spices, tea, and porcelain. They were forced to pay heavy taxes
but were prohibited from owning land. During Han times, a
merchant even had to wear special clothing a white turban
bearing his name and trade, and one white and one black shoe.
Merchants

Although many merchants grew wealthy as a result of the growth
of trade during the T’ang and Sung dynasties, they found it
difficult to improve their social status. Traditionally, merchants
were not allowed to take the civil service examination and so
were excluded from government jobs. However, prosperous
merchants sent their sons to schools that trained them for civil
service jobs or arranged their daughters’ marriages to civil
servants.
Merchants

The ancient Chinese developed one of the most
advanced civilizations of their time. Their art and
literature are unsurpassed in beauty and
craftsmanship, and their philosophical classics
continue to be read for their wisdom and insight.
Arts and Culture

Confucianism - focused on the importance of family
relationships and order in society. The teachings
emphasized virtue in all interactions between people
and valued learning, respect, and duty.
Philosophy and Religion

Taoism was based on following the Way, or Tao, a universal
force underlying all of life. Taoists sought humility, simplicity, and
harmony with nature. Buddhism, based on the teachings of
Siddhartha Gautama, originated in India and reached China about
the first-century a.d. More a religion than a philosophy, Buddhism
emphasized detachment from earthly life to attain spiritual
enlightenment. From the earliest times, the ancient Chinese also
practiced religious devotion to their ancestors.

They believed that the dead live on as spirits and are
closely tied to the living. Ancestors were honored
through offerings, prayers, and elaborate ceremonies.
These various philosophical and religious teachings
existed together in ancient China. Sometimes they
were in opposition, but in general, there was tolerance
and even a blending of beliefs and practices.

China has one of the oldest continuous literary traditions in the
world, dating back more than 3,000 years. It is a vast body of
work, surpassing that of any other civilization. The earliest known
major literary work is the Book of Odes, a collection of poems
dating from the Shang and Chou dynasties. These poems have
been revered, studied, and memorized throughout China’s
history. In later dynasties, writing poetry was considered an
essential accomplishment for scholars and gentlemen.
Literature

The finest poems in all of China’s literature were
produced during the T’ang dynasty when the lyric
poets Li Po and Tu Fu were writing. The prose was
also a strong tradition. Important works include the
Analects of Confucius, Taoist tales, philosophical
essays, and the Records of the Historian, a main
source of information about early China.
Literature

From Shang times, the ancient Chinese excelled in the arts.
They distinguished themselves in the production of pottery,
bronze work, sculpture, jade carvings, calligraphy, and
painting. As early as 2000 B.C., Chinese artists used the
potter’s wheel to create beautiful vases and urns. They
discovered how to make fine porcelain during later T’ang
times. Chinese artists were known for their realistic
sculptures.
The Arts

Examples of their skill include the lifelike terra-cotta figures
buried in Shih Huang Ti’s tomb and the thousands of stone
Buddha statues carved into caves after Buddhism spread to
China. Calligraphy, or “beautiful writing,” was considered
one of the fine arts. The best calligraphers became famous,
and their work was much sought after. During the Sung
dynasty, Chinese painting reached its greatest glory. The
focus shifted from the human figure to landscapes.
The Arts

Artists painted towering mountains, plunging waterfalls, and
peaceful lakes. This attention to landscape, which reflects the
Taoist love of nature, influenced painting in China for the next
thousand years. The paintings were done on silk or paper scrolls,
and the artists often preferred black ink. Said one Sung artist,
“Black is ten colors.” During the Sung dynasty, the combination
of the “three perfections”—calligraphy, poetry, and landscape
painting was regarded as the highest achievement of the arts.
The Arts

Longest in Chinese
history
CHOU (JOH)

Founder of Chinese
Literature
Chinese Authors and Works
Confucius

Famous for the Tao-Te-
Ching (Way of Life)
which forms the basis of
Taoism.
Lao Tse(Lao Tsu)

Writer of seven
unnamed books of
philosophy based on
Confucius’ teachings
his great teacher
Mencius

Compiled the old
Chinese dictionary
Hsu Shen

The founder of modern Chinese literature.
He believed in merging aspects of foreign
culture and life into Chinese literature. In
the early 1920s, he was convinced that
only revolution can solve China’s social
problems in effect he joined the
community part of Chiang Kai- Shek and
was regarded by Mao Tse. Tung is a
national hero. Her famous literary works
are “Call to Arms, Hesitation, and Diary of
Madman.” “ THE NEW YEAR’S SACRIFICE”
expose the issues of women’s right.
CHOU-SHU-JEN

(1881-1936) studied medicine in Japan as
a young man but ultimately concluded
that he was better served as a writer. In
1918, he published his first short story, A
Madman’s Diary, the first colloquial story
in modern Chinese literature. His writings
comprised many genres, from fiction to
zawen (satire) to a historical account of
Chinese fiction. Mao Zedong called Lu
“the standard-bearer” of the new Chinese
culture that arose after the May Fourth
Movement.
Lu Xun

(339-278 BC) was a statesman and
poet during the Warring States
period. He has been attributed to the
first seven poems of the Chu ci
(Songs of Chu). He served under
King Huai but was banished after
composing the poem “Li Sao”
(Encountering Sorrow), which
attacked the court for failing to listen
to his advice. He committed suicide
by throwing himself in a river.
Qu yuan

1904-2005), born Li Yaotang, began
his career as a poet but achieved fame
as a novelist. His most famous novel
was Jia (The Family); in addition to
these novels, he also translated
Russian, British, German, and Italian
works. Ba Jin’s most famous later work
was Suixiang lu (Random Thoughts), a
painful reflection on the Cultural
Revolution in which he was persecuted
as a “counter-revolutionary.”
Eileen Chang

The oldest newspaper in
this period, education and
arts and literature were
developed and flourished.
Schools in every village
and town were built by
Chinese greatest poets
namely.
PEKING GAZETTE

Background of
Japanese Literature

Japanese literature spans a period of almost two millennia and
comprises one of the major literatures in the world, comparable to
English literature in age and scope. It comprises a number of genres,
including novels, poetry, and drama, travelogues, personal diaries and
collections of random thoughts and impressions. From the early
seventh century until the present there has never been a period when
literature was not being produced by Japanese authors. Japan
adopted its writing system from China, often using Chinese characters
to represent Japanese words with similar phonetic sounds.

Early works were heavily influenced by cultural contact with
China and Chinese literature and were often written in Classical
Chinese. Though the Japanese writing system was adapted
from Chinese, the two languages are unrelated. The rich
emotional vocabulary of the Japanese language gave rise to a
refined sensitivity of expression, while Chinese was often used
to write about more intellectual and abstract concepts such as
morality and justice.

During the Edo period, the rise of an urban middle class, increased
literacy and the importation of Chinese vernacular literature
stimulated the development of several new genres, such as kabuki
theater, comedy, historical romances known as “Yomihon,” horror,
crime stories, and morality stories. When Japan reopened its ports
to Western trading and diplomacy in the nineteenth century,
exposure to Western literature influenced Japanese authors to
develop more subjective, analytical styles of writing.

Japanese literature is one of the major literatures of the world, comparable to
English literature in age and variety. From the seventh century C.E., when the
earliest surviving works were written, until the present day, there has never
been a period when literature was not being produced in Japan. Possibly the
earliest full-length novel, The Tale of Genji was written in Japan in the early
eleventh century. In addition to novels, poetry, and drama, other genres such
as travelogues, personal diaries and collections of random thoughts and
impressions, are prominent in Japanese literature. In addition to works in the
Japanese language, Japanese writers produced a large body of writing in
classical Chinese.
HISTORY

Japanese literature can be difficult to read and understand because in
many ways written Japanese reflects certain peculiarities of the spoken
language. Statements are often ambiguous, omitting as unnecessary
the particles of speech which would normally identify words as the
subject or object of a sentence, or using colloquial verb forms from a
specific region or social class. The special language used to depict
gender, age, social status, or regional origins is often the only clue as
to who is speaking or being spoken about in a sentence.
Characteristics of Japanese Literature

Though the Japanese writing system was first adapted from Chinese, the
Japanese and Chinese languages are unrelated. The original Japanese
language contained a great variety of words expressing emotion and
feeling, but very few words for abstract intellectual concepts such as justice,
morality, honesty or rectitude. Japanese literature tends to be emotional
and subjective, rather than intellectual, and consequently appeals strongly
to modern readers all over the world, who can relate to sentiments and
feelings which transcend historical changes and cultural differences.
Characteristics of Japanese Literature

Before the introduction of kanji from China, there was no writing system in
Japan. At first, Chinese characters were used in Japanese syntactical formats,
and the literary language was classical Chinese; resulting in sentences that
looked like Chinese but were phonetically read as Japanese. Chinese characters
were used, not for their meanings, but because they had a phonetic sound
which resembled a Japanese word. Modification of the normal usage of Chinese
characters to accommodate Japanese names and expressions is already evident
in the oldest known inscription, on a sword dating from about 440 C.E.. The use
of Chinese characters initiated a centuries-long association of literary
composition with the art of calligraphy.
Ancient Literature (Until 894)

Chinese characters were later adapted to write Japanese speech, creating
what is known as the man’yōgana, the earliest form of kana, or syllabic
writing. The earliest works were created in the Nara Period. These include
Kojiki (712: a work recording Japanese mythology and legendary history,
Nihonshoki (720; a chronicle with a slightly more solid foundation in historical
records than Kojiki, and Man’yōshū (Ten Thousand Leaves, 759); an
anthology of poetry. More than 120 songs in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki were
written in phonetic transcription, and parts of the Kojiki contain a mixture of
Chinese characters used to represent their Chinese meanings, and Chinese
characters used to represent a phonetic sound.
Ancient Literature (Until 894)

Classical Japanese literature generally refers to the literature produced during
the Heian Period, what some would consider a golden era of art and literature.
The Tale of Genji (early eleventh century) by Murasaki Shikibu is considered the
pre-eminent masterpiece of Heian fiction and an early example of a work of
fiction in the form of a novel. Other important works of this period include the
Kokin Wakashū (905, waka poetry anthology) and The Pillow Book (990s), an
essay about the life, loves, and pastimes of nobles in the Emperor’s court
written by Murasaki Shikibu’s contemporary and rival, Sei Shonagon. The iroha
poem, now one of two standard orderings for the Japanese syllabary, was also
written during the early part of this period.
Classical Literature (894 - 1194; Heian Period)

Medieval Japanese Literature is marked by the strong influence of Zen
Buddhism, and many writers were priests, travelers, or ascetic poets. Also
during this period, Japan experienced many civil wars which led to the
development of a warrior class, and a widespread interest in war tales,
histories, and related stories. Work from this period is notable for its insights
into life and death, simple lifestyles, and redemption through killing. A
representative work is The Tale of the Heike (1371), an epic account of the
struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end
of the twelfth century. Other important tales of the period include Kamo no
Chōmei’s Hōjōki (1212) and Yoshida Kenko’s Tsurezuregusa (1331).
Medieval Literature (1195 – 1600)

The literature of this time was written during the generally peaceful
Tokugawa Period (commonly referred to as the Edo Period). Due in large
part to the rise of the working and middle classes in the new capital of
Edo (modern Tokyo), forms of popular drama developed which would
later evolve into kabuki. The joruri and kabuki dramatist Chikamatsu
Monzaemon became popular at the end of the seventeenth century.
Matsuo Bashō wrote Oku no Hosomichi (奥の細道, 1702), a travel diary.
Hokusai, perhaps Japan’s most famous woodblock print artist, also
illustrated fiction as well as his famous 36 Views of Mount Fuji.
Early-Modern Literature (1600-1868)

The Meiji era marked the re-opening of Japan to the West and a
period of rapid industrialization. The introduction of European
literature brought free verse into the poetic repertoire; it became
widely used for longer works embodying new intellectual themes.
Young Japanese prose writers and dramatists struggled with a
whole galaxy of new ideas and artistic schools, but novelists were
the first to successfully assimilate some of these concepts.
Meiji Period (1868-1945)

In the early Meiji period (1868-1880s), Fukuzawa Yukichi and Water Margin
authored Enlightenment literature, while pre-modern popular books depicted
the quickly changing country. Then Realism was brought in by Tsubouchi Shoyo
and Futabatei Shimei in the mid-Meiji (the late 1880s - early 1890s) while the
Classicism of Ozaki Koyo, Yamada Bimyo, and Koda Rohan gained popularity.
Ichiyo Higuchi, a rare woman writer in this era, wrote short stories on
powerless women of this age in a simple style between literary and colloquial.
Kyoka Izumi, a favored disciple of Ozaki, pursued a flowing and elegant style
and wrote early novels such as The Operating Room (1895) in literary style and
later ones including The Holy Man of Mount Koya (1900) in colloquial Japanese.
Meiji Period: 1868-1945

Mori Ogai introduced Romanticism to Japan in 1889, which was carried to its height
by Shimazaki Toson and his contemporaries and by the magazines Myōjō and
Bungaku-kai in the early 1900s. A new colloquial literature developed centering on
the “I” novel, a form of fiction that describes the world from the author’s point of
view and depicts his own mental states. Natsume Soseki, who is often compared
with Mori Ogai, also wrote the famous novels Botchan (1906) and Sanshirô (1908).
Shiga Naoya, the so-called “god of the novel,” wrote in an autobiographical style,
depicting his states of his mind. Neo-romanticism came out of anti-naturalism and
was led by Nagai Kafu, Junichiro Tanizaki, Kotaro Takamura, Kitahara Hakushu and
others during the early 1910s. Ryunosuke Akutagawa represented Neo-realism in
the mid-1910s and wrote intellectual, analytical short stories.
Meiji Period: 1868-1945

Popular fiction, non-fiction, and children's literature all flourished in urban
Japan during the 1980s. Many popular works fell between "pure literature"
and pulp novels, including all sorts of historical serials, information-packed
docudramas, science fiction, mysteries, detective fiction, business stories,
war journals, and animal stories. Non-fiction covered everything from crime
to politics. Although factual journalism predominated, many of these works
were interpretive, reflecting a high degree of individualism. Children's works
re-emerged in the 1950s, and the newer entrants into this field, many of
them younger women, brought new vitality to it in the 1980s.
Contemporary Literature

During ancient times, around the 5th century,
Japanese used the Classical Chinese writing
system. However, as hundreds of years passed
by, they developed their own writing and have
evolved to the present system that utilizes a
combination of kanji, katakana and hiragana.
WRITING

Kanji – a writing system consisting of Chinese characters. It is made
up of several tens of thousands of characters, but only about 3,000
are commonly used in the country.
Katakana – a syllabary type of writing system that features short
strokes with sharp corners and considered to be the easiest among the
Japanese writing systems. It consists of 48 characters.
Hiragana – also a syllabary type of writing system and is frequently
used for native Japanese words that have no kanji representations. It
is composed of 46 modern characters.
WRITING

Murakami born in 1949 in
Kyoto, Murakami published
his first novel in 1979.
Haruki Murakami has
written more than 20
novels. His most notable
works include 1Q84, Killing
Commendatore, and The
Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.
Japanese Authors and Works
Haruki Murakami

Natsuo Kirino is a crime writer
who is perhaps best known for
forcing readers to reconsider
women’s capabilities for violence.
Born in 1951, she dabbled in many
different professions before
settling on writing. Her most
famous novel, Out, was a
breakout hit in Japan, winning the
Grand Prix for Crime Fiction.
Natsuo Kirino

Kōbō Abe was a Japanese
poet, essayist, playwright, and
novelist. Born in 1924, He
enrolled in medical school in
1943 because medical
students were exempt from
military work, and survived
World War II without having
to fight.
Kōbō Abe

Notoriously private, Banana Yoshimoto is a notable
writer born in 1964 to a liberal family of artists and
writers. She was only 23 when her first novel, Kitchen,
was published. It was very well received, winning her
the 6th Kaien Newcomers’ Literary Prize and gaining
her national and international recognition. She went
on to write 12 more novels and essay collections, and
her work was produced in Japanese TV shows and
movies. Yoshimoto’s work often deals with youth,
existentialism, and how tragedy can shape our lives.
She is also a big fan of food (as her chosen name,
Banana, may reflect) and has been praised for writing
without pretension. Among her most notable titles are
Kitchen, NP, Asleep, Lizard, and Amrita, most of which
are narrated by Emily Woo Zeller.
Banana
Yoshimoto

Born in 1962, Yōko Ogawa is the prolific author of
more than 40 works of fiction and nonfiction.
However, only a small fraction of her work is
available in English including her 2003 novel The
Professor and the Housekeeper, which was made into
a movie called The Professor’s Beloved Equation, and
Revenge, a collection of unsettling short stories.
Although written in the 1990s, her most recent title
to be translated into English is The Memory Police—a
science-fiction novel about a novelist who lives on an
island where authoritarian government rules and
objects are disappearing. Ogawa’s dark vision was
inspired by The Diary of Anne Frank. It was a
National Book Award finalist for translated literature
in 2019 and is narrated by Traci Kato-Kiriyama.
Yōko Ogawa

A Fair Trade: The Story of the Jade
Treasure
Illustrated By: Stella Wei
Stella Wei is a freelance illustrator based in the
DMV area. She is interested in illustrating
children's books and making toys.

LET'S GO TO CHINA, OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO.
A time called the "Period of the Warring States." Seven
kings from seven different states warred fiercely with each
other, each one hungry to take the power and land from
his neighbor. From time to time, the states grew tired of
war. In such times they sent messengers to negotiate
treaties of peace. Such times of peace always felt uneasy
for the people. For they knew war could break out at any
time. The weakest of the seven states was Han, and the
strongest of the seven was Chu.

One day a court official who served at the smallest of the seven
states, the Kingdom of Han, purchased a beautiful piece of jade
from a stranger. When the court official took it to a jade expert
to have it appraised, the expert said, "This is no ordinary piece
of jade that you brought to me. This is none other than the
legendary Jade Treasure! Do you see it's marvelous color?
There's no piece of jade in all the carved vases, bowls, or
ornaments of any palace of any king that compares to this stone.
And the Jade Treasure has other virtues, too. It can shine in the
dark. It can keep a room warm in winter and cool in summer. It
even repels insects. You must always guard this - indeed, this is
a magnificent, priceless treasure!"

News travels fast. The King of Han heard of the wonderful Jade
Treasure that had been obtained by one of his court officials,
and sent word that he wanted to see it. The court official was
worried when he heard this. Surely the King of Han would find a
way to take it away from him. Perhaps he should escape with
the jade treasure before the day he was supposed to go see the
King?
"That would not be wise, sir," said one of his houseguests, a
young man named Gan. "The King will surely hunt you down.
You will lose the stone and your life, too. Instead, I suggest you
offer the Jade Treasure to the King outright, as a gift.“

So the court official offered the King of Han
the wonderful Jade Treasure. The King was
delighted with the magnificent stone and
promoted the court official to be
chamberlain of the royal court.

Soon the King of Chu, whose land was the strongest of
the seven states, heard that the King of Han had in his
possession the legendary Jade Treasure.
"I cannot believe this!" cried the King of Chu. "We are the
strongest state - we should have this matchless stone for
our own! Send a message at once to the King of Han that
he must sell it to me and that I will pay 15 cities for it."
"Fifteen cities?" said one of his mandarins in surprise.
"That is quite a lot - a generous price to pay!"

"Not at all," smiled the King of Chu, stroking his beard. "The envoy from Han will
bring us the jade. Once we have it, who will remember if we ever said anything
about 15 cities? And if we don't deliver the 15 cities after we have the jade, what
can Han do about it, anyway?"
"Ah, yes!" said the mandarin. He hastened to do the king's bidding.
Now when the King of Han received the message from the King of Chu with the
demand that he must sell the stone for the price 15 cities, he was worried.
Certainly fifteen cities was a good price. But what if the King of Chu simply kept
the precious stone and didn't deliver the cities as promised? What choice would
that leave the King of Han? If he protested that the King of Chu had broken his
word, that could easily be an excuse for the King of Chu to invade the Kingdom of
Han, and that's a war that his kingdom could not win against the mighty Chu. On
the other hand, was he to just hand over his wonderful new national treasure?

As he was debating the pros and cons of the
troubling situation, his newly promoted chamberlain
said, "Sir, my houseguest Gan has proved in the past
to be wise beyond his years. Allow me to summon
him and let's hear his advice."
So Gan was summoned.

"My glorious King," answered Gan, "the stone must be surrendered for
the good of your subjects. Otherwise the King of Chu will invade us and
destroy us. Yet we need not despair. Let me be your envoy. Entrust the
Jade Treasure to my care. May my life be forfeited if I do not return the
jewel to you, if the King of Chu refuses to keep his word."
So Gan's journey would have the best luck possible, the entire court
fasted for three days, as was the custom in those times to launch a
journey with the most favorable prospects. At the end, they hosted a
grand feast to as a send-off to his journey to the kingdom of Chu. The
young man Gan, with great reverence, wrapped the Jade Treasure in an
embroidered silk covering, tucked it inside an even richer silk pouch, and
placed the silk pouch in a pocket inside his robe.

Accompanied by a noble train of attendants, he set out on his journey.
When he arrived at the kingdom of Chu, the King welcomed him and his
entourage. They were entertained and feasted with all honor.
When the time came for Gan to present the Jade Treasure to the King of
Chu, the young man approached the throne, took out the richly
embroidered silk covering, unwrapped the priceless Jade Treasure and
offered it to the King of Chu to examine. The stone gleaned and shone
with mesmerizing radiance. After admiring the Jade Treasure, the King of
Chu passed it onto his officials who immediately congratulated him for
securing such a priceless gem. The King of Chu ordered his servant to
take the Jade Treasure to his other court attendants and show it to
them.

Once the stone was safely in Gan's hands, he took several steps
backward until he was next to a pillar. "We came in good faith," he
said, "because you offered Han fifteen cities. My king fasted for
three days and set me off with a grand ceremony to take the Jade
Treasure to you. If you are acting in good faith, you, too, will fast for
three days and arrange a grand ceremony for me to hand over this
Jade Treasure to you before all your court. If not, I will smash this
pillar with the stone right now. I will be destroyed, so will you, and
so will the Jade Treasure!"
The King rushed forward, "What is this rash talk? Of course we were
planning a ceremony just as the one you describe. We were already
planning to fast for three days, then to have the ceremony."

Gan waited for a long time. He waited and waited. But
the Jade Treasure was not returned to the king's table.
No mention had been made of the 15 cities.
Seeing that the King of Chu had mentioned nothing
about the 15 cities, Gan said, "Sire, there is a flaw in
the Jade Treasure. Please allow me to show it to you."
The King of Chu quickly ordered his servant to bring
the jade back to Gan.

Exploring the Essence of Chinese and Japanese Literature

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