Modern Japan

1
Modern Japan

• Section 4
• Literature and the Arts

2
Important People

• Matsuo Basho one of Japans greatest poets
• One of his Haikus ( 5-7-5 syllables)
• On high narrow roadold traveler clears wide
  swath,tiny scythe glinting.
• (scythe - An implement consisting of a long,
  curved single-edged blade with a long bent
  handle, used for mowing or reaping. )

3
Kawabata Yasunari

• The first Japanese to receive the
• Nobel prize for literature
• Won the Nobel Prize in 1968
• Among his works in English translation are the
  novels Thousand Cranes (tr. 1959), The Sound of
  the Mountain (tr. 1970), and The Lake (tr. 1974),
  and volumes of short stories, The House of the
  Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories (tr. 1969)
  and First Snow on Fuji (tr. 1999).
• Four years later, in declining health and
  probably depressed by the suicide of his friend
  Yukio Mishima , he committed suicide.

4
Kurosawa Akira

• Japans best- known movie director and writer

5
Terms

• Haiku short poem of only 17 syllables (5-7-5)
• Kabuki exciting and colorful dramas that dealt
  with themes such as love and revenge

6
Values of Zen

• Simplicity, self-discipline, and closeness to
  nature
• The idea that beauty can be found in ordinary
  objects and in daily tasks.

7
Art Today

• Japanese people as do their American counterparts
  enjoy television and movies.
• However, some like No plays and Kabuki theater as
  well.
• Most modern Japanese art reflects middle- class
  interests and tastes.

8
A Comparison of No plays and Kabuki theater

• Both plays use a chorus to chant the story along
  with musical accompaniment.
• No plays have basically no plot and unfold
  without much action.
• Kabuki consists of exciting drama and has
  elaborate stage settings.

9
Influence on the World

• Japanese film writers have influenced American
  movies.
• Zen rock gardening has impacted floral
  arrangements in the US and Europe