FILM 279 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Kenji Miyazawa, Lotus Sutra, Kiichi Miyazawa
30 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Mistake of thinking that today what we find in east asia is a result of the import from western world. It is actually a mix of indigenous cultures and contact with the west. Indicative of elements in society that we may not typically associate with children"s literature. Probably written in 1927 and published in 1934, written by miyazawa kenji. This story stands out from his philosophical and literary pursuits. In taisho period, japanese start to struggle with their identity because it was a period of intense westernization and interest in western/europe culture and thought. Showa period is a period in which japanese struggle with their identity, showed increased militarization and political intrigue. See kami, buddha, shinto, eclectic mix of religions, not just state shinto great philosophical response. Miyazawa kenji devout buddhist writer, known for usage of buddhist terminology/narratives. In other stories, miyazawa explicitly refers to buddhist practice such as the recitation of the name of the lotus sutra.
