Growth of Japanese Culture
A Golden Age of Literature and Drama-by: Madeline Barrientos
Japanese Writing Systems
Around the 400s, the Japanese started using Chinese characters to write Japanese words. The Japanese used characters to stand for something specific actions, ideas, objects, or sounds. A lot of Japanese writing was influenced by the Chinese culture.
Japanese Drama
The drama started back in the 600s when people were performing Shinto dances at pious shrines. In the 1300s, actors developed a certain kind of drama called noh. Noh were mostly played by men and often retellings of folktale and legends. The actors wore painted wooden masks to various emotions. Then in the early 1600s, another kind of drama was developed called kabuki. Kabuki combined dancing with heavy makeup and elaborate costumes and melodramatic singing. Both the kabuki and noh are still very popular in Japan
The Tale of Genji
The Tale of Genji was wrote in the early 800s. The Tale of Genji was wrote by Lady Murasaki Shikibu. She was one of the most finest writers. The book was based on th life of a prince in the imperial court. The book was the first most important novel in Japanese time.
Japanese Poetry
Japanese Poetry were often wrote about rejected love or the beauty of nature. One form of poetry that was very popular is a haiku. A haiku is 17 syllables--three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Matsuo Basho was one of the most known poet.
Japan's Living National Treasure keeps kabuki alive