LESSON 9: JAPANESE PSYCHE

AND LITERATURE
JAPANESE LITERATURE
Life and Nature as One
YOU HAVE RECENTLY WATCHED THIS
This shows how the truth
and their views affect their
lives
THE IDEA OF LIFE
For a Japanese, Truth is relative.
Goodness and badness are relative, because of time.
There’s a different about time (clear-cut situation)
and moment (for the time being).
3 WAYS OF JAPANESE LIVING
1. Japanese aesthetics Balance in Perspectives and Beauty

* You must have experienced (senses) everything.

2. Deterministic view of man
Summation of everything/endpoint
• You are shape into three levels:
a. Race b. Milleu (time and place) c. power of the moment
 3 WAYS OF JAPANESE LIVING
3. Power of the moment
Connected to:
Shame vs Guilt

Japanese doesn’t have guilt

Example: WHY:
* It was asked by the moment,
Samurai thus the title, and it has a purpose
Harakiri – seppaku (heroic)
YOU HAVE RECENTLY WATCHED THIS
This shows how the nature and spirits affect their lives
KAMI
Spirits that roam around the land
ONI
Monsters or demonic creatures that are represented as
ogres or trolls roaming around the earth
YOKAI
This is a class of supernatural monsters, spirits and
demons in Japanese folklore
SHINTOISM (WAY OF GODS)
➤ Kami - also known as the Shinto gods
➤ Humans believe that they become kami as they die,
thus their attachment to nature
➤ Families build shrines for their kamis to live in
➤ The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered as the
most important god
SHINTOISM (WAY OF GODS)
➤ Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be
fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil
spirits.
➤ Matsuri - Japanese festivals to celebrate and honor shrines
➤ Miko - shrine maiden or caretaker that are usually daughter of
priest
➤ Shinto became the main religion in Japan’s Meiji Period
Some prominent rocks are worshiped as kami.
OMAMORI
These are said to provide various forms of luck or
protection. The word mamori mens protection, with
omamori being the sonkeigo (honorific) form of the
word, “to protect”.
OFUDA
These are charms, wards, or scriptures that are said to
bring the bearer good luck or protection as well as
other things depending upon what is written on them,
and are usually sold at Shinto shrines.
KIGO
This refers to nature itself.
 JAPANESE
LITERATURE
Poverty’s Child
He starts to grind the rice
And gazes at the moon.
Far off mountain peaks
Reflected in the eye
The dragonfly
Fuji alone
Left unburied
By young green leaves.
 Kindness - 親切 Strength - 力
Joy - 喜び
Success - 成功 Patience - 忍耐
Happiness - 幸福
Contentment - 満足 Industriousness - 勤勉
Love - 愛
Faith - 信仰 Good Health - 健勝
Hope - 希望
Safety - 安全性 Wealth - 富
Luck - 運
Guidance - ガイダンス Humility - 謙虚
Wisdom - 知恵
Courage - 勇気 Grant all your wishes -
すべての願いを叶えま
す
1. The demonic creatures represented as ogres and
trolls roaming the earth.
Answer: Oni
2. The term, _____ refers to spirits that roam the land
and are also known as the Shinto gods. Answer: Kami
3. During the _______ period, Shintoism became the
main religion in Japan.
Answer: Meiji
4. Some prominent rocks are worshipped as Kami.
Answer: True
5. Which of the following is not one of the three levels
in which the Japanese are shaped? Answer: Standard
of living
6. Families build _______ where kamis live.
Answer: Shrines
7. Shinto believes that humans are fundamentally
good and evil deeds are caused by evil spirits.
Answer: True
8. This term refers to Japanese festivals to celebrate
and honor shrines.
Answer: Matsuri
9. The sun goddess, ________ is considered as the
most important God.
Answer: Amaterasu
10. 勇気 (Romaji: yuuki) means love.
Answer: False
11. Shinto believes that the reason for human's
attachment to nature is because they become kami after
they die.
Answer: True
12. These are charms, wards or scriptures that are said
to bring the bearer good luck or protection.
Answer: Ofuda
13. To the Japanese, a person's poor quality/badness is
relative because of the existence of goodness.
Answer: False
14. The Japanese do not possess guilt.
Answer: True
15. Time refers to ________ while moment means
"for the time being."
Answer: clear-cut situation