Perception of Fui-ichiji as Seen in the Transcription of Gosen-wakasyu in the Nihon University Library Collection

Abstract

  This paper compares and analyzes the Gosen-wakasyu Japanese poem anthology by Fujiwara Tamesuke, in the Nihon University Library collection, which is noted in the postscript as fui-ichiji (exact copy), and the original Gosen-wakasyu in the second year of Tenpuku by Fujiwara Sadaie in the Reizei-ke siguretei-bunnko collection, with the aim of determining the extent to which Gosen-wakasyu in the Nihon University Library collection accurately copied the original Gosen-wakasyu in the second year of Tenpuku in the Reizei-ke siguretei-bunnko collection, and clarifying Tamesuke's perception of fui-ichiji.

  Through this study, we can conclude that Tamesuke's concept of fui-ichiji was basically to follow the original by writing Chinese characters in the Chinese script and Japanese letters in the Japanese script. For the Chinese characters, we believe that he attempted to copy them exactly as they were in the original, as was made clear in this study. However, not all of them match the original. We considered that this was because of the process of adjusting a waka-poem to fit in a single line or to writing habits that arose in the process of writing it. As for kana, he does not seem to be as conscious of consistency with the original as with the Chinese script, as variant kana that differ from the original are occasionally found. It is possible that he interpreted fui-ichiji as fui-ichion (exact copy of the sound) for kana.

  Further, by stating “fui-ichiji” in the postscript, we believe that Tamesuke was trying to show that he was the legitimate heir to the Mikohidari-ke and that he was a suitable person to compile the imperial anthology.