Open Talk “Cherry Blossoms in Sino-Japanese Literary Discourse: Edo Period Insights”
In Japan, cherry blossoms have held a starring role in its literature, such as Waka and Haiku. Yet, in Pre-modern China the flower did not always hold a prominent place, although a certain number of poems were created. Prompted by this contrast, Edo period Confucian scholars and Sinitic poets, central figures in the Sino-Japanese literary tradition, pondered why the cherry blossoms, so beloved in Japan, were scarcely regarded in the works by Chinese literati. This curiosity sparked a broader debate, involving even botanists, and evolved into a larger discourse. In this lecture, we will delve into the Edo period scholars’ discussions and the significant cultural and historical impact of their debates on cherry blossoms, along with a look at celebrated Sinitic poems on these flowers, showcasing both the rare contributions from Chinese poets and the extensive works by Japanese poets.
- Day & Time：March 28th, 2024 (Thursday), 14:00-15:00
- Venue：Lab (2nd floor of WIHL)
- Language：Japanese
- Participation：Free
- Participants：Students, Faculty and Public
- Presented by the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities, with support from the Waseda International House of Literature
Lecture
Rintaro Goyama
Dr. Rintaro Goyama was awarded his Ph.D. in Literature from The University of Tokyo in 2010. Beginning his career as a librarian at the National Diet Library, he transitioned to academia in 2009 as a lecturer at the Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University. In 2013, he expanded his teaching roles to include a lecturer position at Osaka University’s Communication Design Center, while also serving in the Faculty of Letters. After being promoted to Associate Professor in 2014, Dr. Goyama joined Keio University in 2016, where he was appointed as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Letters before advancing to the position of Professor in April 2023. His monograph, ‘The Study on Sinitic Poetry and Prose in Japan during the Bakumatsu and Meiji Periods’, published in 2014 by Izumi Shoin, earned him the 8th Japan Classical Literature Academic Award from the National Institute of Japanese Literature.
Facilitator
Lin Wenjiun
Yanai Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Contact
Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities: [email protected]
