Early Japanese Literature from Kojiki to Kaifuso: Subject Matter and Compilation

Abstract

This paper attempts to introduce the early Japanese literature, historically. In this attempt, it covers the early modes of writing Japanese literature, use of Chinese for writing Japanese literature/history, the creation of Kana script system and its subsequent usage by the later writers. The paper deals with the emergence of early canonical literary works such as ‘Kojiki’, ‘Nihonshouki’, ‘Fudoki’, and ‘Kaifuso’, their subject matter and modes of compilation. It also discusses the existing comparative literary research undertaken so far to provide an idea for further work in this area. And this paper excludes the canonical text, ‘Manyoshu’ as there are a plenty of scholarly works and a direct translation of Volume ten of Manyoshu already available in Tamil.