CC311103 History of Japanese Classics B (History of Japanese Literature)

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2026Year School/Graduate School School of Education

Lecture Code CC311103 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name 国語文化の歴史Ｂ（国文学の歴史）

Subject Name
（Katakana）コクゴブンカノレキシB（コクブンガクノレキシ）

Subject Name in
English History of Japanese Classics B (History of Japanese Literature)

Instructor KUSANO MASARU

Instructor
(Katakana) クサノ　マサル

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 2nd-Year,  First Semester,  2Term

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (2T) Weds5-8：EDU K108

Lesson Style Lecture Lesson Style
(More Details) Face-to-face

Credits 2.0 Class Hours/Week 4 Language of Instruction J : Japanese

Course Level 3 : Undergraduate High-Intermediate

Course Area（Area） 23 : Arts and Humanities

Course Area（Discipline） 05 : Literature

Eligible Students

Keywords

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status
within Educational
Program
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced
Evaluation
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students) Program in Japanese Language and Culture Education
（Knowledge and Understanding）
・To have acquired basic knowledge on the contents of secondary Japanese language education ("Language" and its culture)
（Abilities and Skills）
・To be able to collect and understand materials and information on the contents of Japanese taught in secondary education, (Japanese studies, Japanese literature, and Chinese poetry)

Class Objectives
/Class Outline The aim of this course is to understand the history of Japanese literature from ancient to medieval times, focusing on waka, which runs through the core of Japanese literary tradition. At the same time, it seeks to cultivate sufficient knowledge and teaching skills to effectively teach waka literature, which is often regarded as particularly challenging in school education.

Class Schedule lesson1 Overview of the course objectives and content; guidance　
lesson2 Ancient Waka I — Ancient songs and poems of the Man’yōshū
lesson3 Ancient Waka II — Poems of the Man’yōshū and the communal nature of waka
lesson4 From Ancient to Heian Waka — The structure of correspondence between emotion and object
lesson5 Heian Waka I — How to read waka and the technique of kakekotoba
lesson6 Heian Waka II — Kakekotoba and engo
lesson7 Waka within Texts I — Waka as poetry collections
lesson8 Waka within Texts II — Waka within narrative literature
lesson9 Waka in The Tale of Genji I — Focusing on the poems in the “Momiji no Ga” chapter
lesson10 Waka in The Tale of Genji II — Waka as a narrative method
lesson11 Medieval Waka I — Themed composition, poetry gatherings, and fixed-number sequences
lesson12 Medieval Waka II — The canonization of waka and commentary traditions
lesson13 Medieval Waka III — Waka of the Shinkokin period
lesson14 Medieval Waka IV — The world of linked verse (renga)
lesson15 Final examination and overall review of the course

A final examination will be administered.

Text/Reference
Books,etc. [No textbook purchase required]
For reference, the following publications, which are relatively easy to obtain, are recommended:
・Kodai Waka no Sekai by Hideo Suzuki (Chikuma Shinsho)
・Waka toha Nanika  by Yasuaki Watanabe (Iwanami Shinsho)
・Wakadokoro no Kamakurajidai  by Takeo Ogawa (NHK Books)

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. Handouts, Microsoft Teams

(More Details)

Learning techniques to be incorporated Post-class Report

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review For preparation, if you research basic information about the works to be covered in the next class, you will likely realize that general overview-style descriptions are not sufficient to fully understand their historical significance.

For review, short reports (comment sheets) will be assigned after each class. In these, you should engage with the topics discussed in class and, where possible, expand your reflections to consider broader issues in literature and culture.

Requirements

Grading Method Evaluation will be based on the final examination (50%) and the short reports submitted for each class session (50%).

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2026Year	School/Graduate School	School of Education
Lecture Code	CC311103	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	国語文化の歴史Ｂ（国文学の歴史）
Subject Name （Katakana）	コクゴブンカノレキシB（コクブンガクノレキシ）
Subject Name in English	History of Japanese Classics B (History of Japanese Literature)
Instructor	KUSANO MASARU
Instructor (Katakana)	クサノ　マサル
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	2nd-Year, First Semester, 2Term
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(2T) Weds5-8：EDU K108
Lesson Style	Lecture	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face

Credits	2.0	Class Hours/Week	4	Language of Instruction	J : Japanese
Course Level	3 : Undergraduate High-Intermediate
Course Area（Area）	23 : Arts and Humanities
Course Area（Discipline）	05 : Literature
Eligible Students
Keywords
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Educational Program (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced Evaluation (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)	Program in Japanese Language and Culture Education （Knowledge and Understanding）・To have acquired basic knowledge on the contents of secondary Japanese language education ("Language" and its culture) （Abilities and Skills）・To be able to collect and understand materials and information on the contents of Japanese taught in secondary education, (Japanese studies, Japanese literature, and Chinese poetry)
Class Objectives /Class Outline	The aim of this course is to understand the history of Japanese literature from ancient to medieval times, focusing on waka, which runs through the core of Japanese literary tradition. At the same time, it seeks to cultivate sufficient knowledge and teaching skills to effectively teach waka literature, which is often regarded as particularly challenging in school education.
Class Schedule	lesson1 Overview of the course objectives and content; guidance　 lesson2 Ancient Waka I — Ancient songs and poems of the Man’yōshū lesson3 Ancient Waka II — Poems of the Man’yōshū and the communal nature of waka lesson4 From Ancient to Heian Waka — The structure of correspondence between emotion and object lesson5 Heian Waka I — How to read waka and the technique of kakekotoba lesson6 Heian Waka II — Kakekotoba and engo lesson7 Waka within Texts I — Waka as poetry collections lesson8 Waka within Texts II — Waka within narrative literature lesson9 Waka in The Tale of Genji I — Focusing on the poems in the “Momiji no Ga” chapter lesson10 Waka in The Tale of Genji II — Waka as a narrative method lesson11 Medieval Waka I — Themed composition, poetry gatherings, and fixed-number sequences lesson12 Medieval Waka II — The canonization of waka and commentary traditions lesson13 Medieval Waka III — Waka of the Shinkokin period lesson14 Medieval Waka IV — The world of linked verse (renga) lesson15 Final examination and overall review of the course A final examination will be administered.
Text/Reference Books,etc.	[No textbook purchase required] For reference, the following publications, which are relatively easy to obtain, are recommended: ・Kodai Waka no Sekai by Hideo Suzuki (Chikuma Shinsho) ・Waka toha Nanika by Yasuaki Watanabe (Iwanami Shinsho) ・Wakadokoro no Kamakurajidai by Takeo Ogawa (NHK Books)
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Handouts, Microsoft Teams
(More Details)
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Post-class Report
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	For preparation, if you research basic information about the works to be covered in the next class, you will likely realize that general overview-style descriptions are not sufficient to fully understand their historical significance. For review, short reports (comment sheets) will be assigned after each class. In these, you should engage with the topics discussed in class and, where possible, expand your reflections to consider broader issues in literature and culture.
Requirements
Grading Method	Evaluation will be based on the final examination (50%) and the short reports submitted for each class session (50%).
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Back to syllabus main page