Essays in Idleness

By Yoshida Kenko

I. Historical Background
Essays in Idleness became, especially after the 17th century, a basic part of
Japanese education, and the author’s views have had a prominent place in
subsequent Japanese life. Essays in Idleness displays a perceptiveness and wit that
have delighted readers since the 14th century. Lamentation over the passing of old
customs express his conviction that life had sadly deteriorated from its former glory.

II. Authorship (Life and Works of the Writers): The Author and His Milieu
Yoshida Kenko (1283 - 1350) was a Japanese author and Buddhist monk. His major
work, Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness), is one of the most studied works
of medieval Japanese literature; the consistent theme of the series of 243 essays is
“the universal principle of change,” one of the central ideas of Zen Buddhism. The
work expresses the sentiment of "mono no aware" (the sorrow which results from the
passage of things) found in the undercurrent of traditional Japanese culture since
antiquity. Kenko described how the momentariness and transiency of an event or a
process intensified its beauty.

III. Synopsis
The “Essays in Idliness by Yoshida Kenko is all about the life of man. The subjects of
his essays are his observations about life, marriage, parenthood, love, art, friendship
and nature. It is all his thoughts about the world around him. Having nothing to do as
the title implies, the content of his book are all his thoughts about anything that he
encounter out of sheer boredom. The excerpt from his essay are all about the idea
that man does not live forever. His accounts contain the life of a man as a parent and
as part of nature. He also stressed the importance of beginning and ends. The essay
proposes the idea that nothing last forever so man should cherish and appreciate
everything that he have. Appreciate even the smallest things like the nature that
gives beautiful sceneries because man can only witness such view when he is still
alive. It is amazing that when Kenko has nothing to do, he was able to make a book
which contains all his thoughts and observations out of boredom.

IV. Theme
The theme of the book is Impermanence. Essays in Idleness is all about the
temporary life of a man which makes him appreciates what he have.

V. Philosophy
His brief writings mark the crystallization of a distinct Japanese principle; the beauty
is to be celebrated, though it will ultimately perish. This principle can be related to the
one of the The Universal Truths in Buddhism, the widely known religion in Japan,
which is “Everything in life is impermanent and changing.” It is evident in the work of
Yoshida Kenko because he was also once a Buddhist monk.
VI. Devices Used
The Essays in Idleness has classical elements because it became popularly known
even after the century it was written. It has a lasting importance especially in
Japanese literature. It was written between 1330 and 1332 but it was still popular
during the 17th century. It also has a touch of epic conventional because some parts
of the essays were based on Buddhist beliefs.

VII. Bibliography

Essays in idleness. (n.d). Retrieved September 1, 2020 from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Essays-in-Idleness

Yoshida kenko. (n.d) Retrieved September 1, 2020 from

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Yoshida_Kenko

Prepared by:
Mia Grace Vista
BSED III-English