{"id":34493,"date":"2026-01-07T14:29:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T05:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/culture\/?p=34493"},"modified":"2026-01-07T14:34:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T05:34:21","slug":"%e3%80%90%e6%9c%83%e6%b4%a5%e5%85%ab%e4%b8%80%e8%a8%98%e5%bf%b5%e5%8d%9a%e7%89%a9%e9%a4%a8%e3%80%91%e5%af%8c%e5%b2%a1%e3%82%b3%e3%83%ac%e3%82%af%e3%82%b7%e3%83%a7%e3%83%b3%e5%b1%95-%e8%bf%91-2-2-2-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/culture\/news-en\/2026\/01\/07\/34493\/","title":{"rendered":"\u3010Yanai Initiative\u3011Open Talk “Did Heian-Period Infants Tell \u2018Monogatari\u2019?” (January 30)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open Talk: Did Heian-Period Infants Tell \u2018Monogatari\u2019<\/em>?<\/h3>\n

We welcome Dr. Saki Koizumi, An Assistant Professor at Waseda University, who will explore how \u2018monogatari\u2019<\/em> was perceived by the people in Heian period.<\/p>\n

How was the term \u2018monogatari\u2019<\/em> used in Japan approximately a thousand years ago? Examining examples of usage from the Heian period reveals that the term \u2018monogatari\u2019<\/em> refers not only to written texts, but also to people\u2019s verbal interactions. Notably, there are expressions in which infants under one year of age\u2014who are not yet expected to understand language\u2014are described as telling \u2018monogatari.\u2019<\/em> Furthermore, these expressions appear to be employed in a manner distinct from infant speech. Such examples offer insight into how \u2018monogatari\u2019<\/em> was understood at that time.
\nIn this lecture, she will examine the depictions of infants telling \u2018monogatari\u2019<\/em> in Heian period literary works (monogatari bungaku), particularly Genji monogatari<\/em>, to explore how \u2018monogatari\u2019<\/em> was perceived by the people of that time.<\/p>\n