This study takes up Sankai Hyobanki as a novel representative of Izumi Kyoka's later career. By focusing on the protagonist Yano, who is a novelist, I examine the functions of the gaze with regard to the act of looking. The subject of the act of looking controls the object of the gaze. However, this power relation reverses when the object of the act of looking reveals its awareness of the gaze of the subject and the relation shifts into one of "showing" and "being showed." By considering the characters surrounding Yano in the novel, I show that changes in the angle of the gaze open up possibilities for new readings.

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In 1985 Murakami Ryu published a book entitled The Spleen of a Man Called Tennis Boy depicting the shift in Japanese society when a large number of people began to regard themselves as middle class and lead luxurious life. This change was related to the decline of the USA manufacturing industry. The author provides a substantial amount of false information on popular brand names that appear in this text due to lack of exposure to such goods and knowledge of their proper use. As such he comes to represent the typical "new middle-class Japanese" because few people were accustomed to such merchandises in the mid-80s. In this paper, I discuss the changes within Japanese society in 1980s and reflect on the significance that year 1983 had for the history of modern Japan. By doing so, I hope to cast light on the new path that Japanese society may embark on in the 2010s.

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This paper attempts to reconsider the idea of viewing the financial power and residence of Kannabi no Tanematsu as symbols of Suzushi in the capital. Instead, by examining the etoki, objects, and the gaze, it argues that the luxurious gifts which Tanematsu delivers to the capital convey his limitless financial power. The pottery rokuro (implying "Gods' hideout" and evoking the name Kannabi) and the class of rokuro masters as narrated by the etoki symbolize Tanematsu's ascetic practices in mountains, stress his financial and political power, and establish a strong awareness of him. By analyzing the significance of such gifts and the objects depicted in the etoki, this study offers a new interpretation of the tale.

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This paper explores the transformations which all men related to Atemiya undergo in the episode about Atemiya and her suitors. It argues that these shifts are central to the story and are instigated by Atemiya. In addition, this study shows that as Atemiya changes a large number of men, she herself also undergoes a transformation from a girl who was manipulated by her father into a fully grown woman, and reflects on the functions that she performs within the story. Section One deals with Nakatada, as a representative of the clan of the zither (qin). His portrayal while playing the zither appears greatly impressive owing to Atemiya, as a result of which he becomes the main character of The Tale of the Cavern (Utsuho monogatari). Suzushi is considered in Section Two. His physical marginality coincides with his remoteness from the center of the story, and it is only through his love for Atemiya that his nature becomes visible. Section Three takes up Tadakoso, Nakayori, Kanemasa, and other amorous (irogonomi) characters and shows how Atemiya reveals men's lustful nature by acting as their object of desire. Section Four focuses on Masayori, whose philistinism is underscored by Atemiya.

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As previous research (Mitamura: 1987) has shown, the idea that The Tale of Genji is narrated by an objective third person is unproductive; hence what a court tale (monogatari) depicts is not the sheer truth. Building on this, I focus on the story of Tamakazura and her suitors (kyukon tan), specifically as told by the subjective narrators from Tamakazura's entourage. I offer a new reading of the story about Tamakazura and her suitors by considering the subjectivity of the characters. Although stories of men wooing women are typically moved forward by an exchange between a man and a woman and offer a full account of the details, in the case of Tamakazura, it is the subjectivity of the characters and the narrator who have final judgment on the story.

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Emperor Hanazono was a retired emperor at the margins. As such, he used scholarship as a tool to counter the courtiers who frequently employed the Daikakuji line and the continuation of the family for their own interests, and to justify his own position. Consequently, such scholarship was not intended to redesign the scheme that stressed the lord-vassal relationship as based on propriety (rei) and the concept of the transfer of heaven's mandate (ekisei kakumei), but it resembled "the king and the subject" (taigi meibun) concept. Moreover, Hanazono's praising of the scholarship surrounding Emperor Go-Daigo was a way for him to underscore his own superiority. Needless to say, Hanazono's learning did not exist as an independent entity but contained important political and historical aspects. The issue of fourteenth-century scholarship, especially Neo-Confucianism, has come to be viewed as a reception of Emperor Go-Daigo's political scheme and the concept of the transfer of heaven's mandate. Within this context, The Diary of Emperor Hanazono has often acted as a source for frequent reference. Previous studies have tended to de-contextualize the individual descriptions of the events and Hanazono's views on scholarship as recorded in The Diary. Finding this problematic as an approach, I argue for the importance of contextualizing these descriptions within the frame of The Diary, and propose a new reading.

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This paper attempts to offer a way to reinstate the studies on classical Japanese literature, and turns to Fukuzawa Yukichi's recommendation of "practical studies" which has been regarded as criticism against humanism. By reflecting on the differences between "transcendental position" and "metatranscendental position," and building upon the arguments of Maruyama Masao and Karatani Kojin, this study stresses the humanistic nature of Yukichi Fukuzawa's views.

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This paper addresses the following question: did Japanese classical public sphere, that centered around poetry (waka) and the classics, have an enemy (the Other)? In other words, following Carl Schmitt, was the classical public sphere established due to the existence of an enemy (the Other)? I conclude that in the case of Japan's medieval public sphere, there did not exist an enemy (the Other) in Schmitt's definition. In particular, although in the classical public sphere notions that could be viewed as "the Other" stirred debates, they were accepted in Japan relatively easily. Within this context, along with the conservatism of the transmission of knowledge from teacher to student, entire freedom and flexibility of thought and preaching surrounded entities that had achieved a status of a classic.

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This paper offers an analysis of the sentence-end expressions in The Tale of Genji with regard to the narrator. For instance "mietamafu" and "mietamahe ri" are used when the subject is a character of the tale; "mietamafu" and "miyu" suggest that the narrator conveys what she has witnessed; "to-miyu," "to-mietamaheri," and "to-mietari" quote the narrator's words. By considering the functions of such sentence-end expressions, I show that they allow for an objectification and multiplication of the narrator in The Tale of Genji.

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This paper deals with The Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari) subtext in The Tosa Diary (Tosa nikki), specifically with the scene in which Narihira's poem about the moon over the mountains' rim is recalled as the traveling party visits the Nagisa Lodge. Although Narihira's poem appears also in the Kokinshu, I argue for the centrality of its allusion to Episode 82 of The Tales of Ise. I focus on the entry for the seventh day of the first month, which is constructed as a parody of Episode 82 of The Tales of Ise, and the entry for the eighth day where Narihira's poem is evoked, and examine the functions that the moon performs. By considering the scenes in which the moon encourages the traveling group to identify themselves with Ariwara no Narihira and Abe no Nakamaro, consoles them during their voyage, and illuminates the dilapidated house as they reach the capital, I stress the link between the moon and the past. I argue that the Nagisa Lodge allusion to The Tales of Ise in The Tosa Diary evokes the past and stresses its irretrievability.

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Although born and bred in a remote area, the lady from Akashi ascended to the top and gained Lady Murasaki's high regard. Behind her splendor, however, lurks undue hardship such as her sorrow of parting with Genji at the bay of Akashi, her parting from her daughter, and her way from Oi to the capital. Although such suffering is often accompanied by tears shed by the members of the Akashi family, the close link between the Akashi family and tears has not been considered. In this paper I focus on the Spring Shoots chapters and by examining the ups and downs of the Akashi family and various aspects of the tears they shed, such as tears and status, tears at parting, tears shed at old age, and contagious tears, I reflect on the Akashi family as a group and the significance of their tears.

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In this paper I take up Emperor En'yu as portrayed in The Tale of Flowering Fortunes (Eiga monogatari) and specifically the depiction of the inner palace and Junshi's promotion to an empress. Countering the interpretation of Emperor En'yu's choice of Junshi over Senshi as misjudgment as pointed out by previous research, I attempt to offer a new interpretation of his decision. By drawing parallels to the issue of the succession of the throne as discussed by historians, I consider the state of Emperor En'yu's inner palace and the logic of his decision, focusing on his tendency to prioritize the regency by preserving Kanemichi's will and complying with Regent Yoritada, as well as the problem of the throne concession that En'yu faced (in particular, the great number of imperial princes born to his elder brother Emperor Reizei). In The Tale of Flowering Fortunes Emperor En'yu appears within a web of complicated human relations. Such historical awareness of The Tale of Flowering Fortunes provides a glimpse into various aspects of Emperor En'yu during the transitional period from the monopolization of the position of the regent by the members of Kujor and Mido families into the throne succession from En'yu to Ichijo.

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This paper deals with Kashiwagi and his affections for his younger sisters. As revealed in the story of Tamakazura and her suitors through quotations of Episode 49 of The Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari) and The Tale of the Cavern Utsuho monogatari), Hikaru Genji and Yugiri have a keen interest in Kashiwagi's affection for his younger sisters. In . particular, both of them are aware of Kashiwagi's ability to realize his love for his sisters. Kashiwagi's desire and affections for Tamakazura are hard to suppress and come to light through words such as "kodai," "tatoi," and "imoseyama." The Kokiden Consort, on the other hand, appears as his ideal type of woman to whom he has grown accustomed. Yet, during his secret visit to Her Highness, the Third Princess, Kashiwagi is entrapped in her charms that differ from that of the Kokiden Consort. By analyzing Kashiwagi's attitudes to these women, I argue that the Kokiden Consort as the ideal woman only functioned as a vehicle for emphasizing Kashiwagi's confused affections for the Third Princess. I also show that although surrounded by a large number of younger sisters and despite the potential of having affairs with them, Kashiwagi does not emerge as a man who has amorous relationships with his female siblings, a pattern typical for the courtly tales, and thus remains a unique character within The Tale of Genji.

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This paper considers the logic of the time expression "ato (after)" that is characteristic of the Uji chapters of The Tale of Genji. Following Hikaru Genji's death, the Uji chapters are imbued with reflections upon the past. I argue that this phrase often refers to death or times of unfavorable implications. It functions as an intensifier of the gloominess of the Uji chapters and uncovers their logic. For example, Hikaru Genji, the Eighth Prince (Hachinomiya), and Oi-gimi cast their shadows over the tale after their own death; Kaoru leads an empty existence after the burning down of his main residence, the Sanjo palace; Naka no Kimi is shown after her move from Uji to the capital, after her husband's marriage to Roku no Kimi, and as a figure she is marginalized within the tale after her birth of an imperial prince.

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