Images from the Past. Intertextuality in Japanese Premodern Literature

This volume brings together scholars from different backgrounds and career stages to rethink the role and scope of intertextuality in the context of premodern Japan. From antiquity to the rise of modernity, originality through repetition persists as a staple in the literary, performative, and artistic traditions of this country. Nonetheless, rather than slavish recycling of pre-existing tropes, the redeployment of familiar motifs by patterns of borrowing, allusion, and imitation would become a means to explore untrodden creative pathways and craft a shared sense of cultural belonging. Stemming from an international symposium hosted at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in 2021 with the generous support of The Japan Foundation, the papers in this collection offer a thoughtful contribution to this debate by engaging texts from different historical periods, media, and genres – be it poetic, narrative, theatrical, visual, or religious. Although intertextuality may not be a new topic, the essays that follow attest to the enduring appeal of a concept whose explanatory power proves most effective when combined with other methods of inquiry, such as discourse analysis, social sciences, gender studies, and material culture. Thus, while opening new windows onto Japan’s literary worlds, these cross-disciplinary approaches provide further insights into the uses (and abuses) of the past in a non-Western non-modern society

Izayoi nikki. The History of a Disputed Heritage in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333)

This paper aims to cast fresh new light upon Izayoi nikki (The Diary of the Sixteenth Night Moon, c. 1280) the most representative work of Nun Abutsu. After considering why it has long been undervalued by Japanese scholars, this study takes a close look at the long and complicated legal dispute described in the diary. In this legal dispute, Nun Abutsu played a central role as loyal mother and widowed nun in struggling to ensure a future for her children, the natural descendants of a famous dynasty of poets. To fully understand the strength of the reasons behind her actions, it would seem to be of fundamental importance to read Izayoi nikki from a different perspective, taking into account not only the personal story of the author but also the socio-historical framework of the Kamakura period, focusing in particular on inheritance practices and the kinds of responsibilities women were expected to bear in relation to the family.This paper aims to cast fresh new light upon Izayoi nikki (The Diary of the Sixteenth Night Moon, c. 1280), the most representative work of Nun Abutsu. After considering why it has long been undervalued by Japanese scholars, this study takes a close look at the long and complicated legal dispute described in the diary. In this legal dispute, Nun Abutsu played a central role as loyal mother and widowed nun in struggling to ensure a future for her children, the natural descendants of a famous dynasty of poets. To fully understand the strength of the reasons behind her actions, it would seem to be of fundamental importance to read Izayoi nikki from a different perspective, taking into account not only the personal story of the author but also the socio-historical framework of the Kamakura period, focusing in particular on inheritance practices and the kinds of responsibilities women were expected to bear in relation to the family

It’s (Almost) Always the Economy: Economic Performance and Political Realignments In Argentina

This article analyzes the last year of the Mauricio Macri’s administration in Argentina, and the accession of Alberto Fernández to power. We present a survey of the economic situation in 2019, the most important issues in the political agenda, and the political developments around the presidential election. We argue that the inability of the government to deliver on the economic front, and a realignment in the opposition, marked by Cristina Fernandez unexpectedly stepping down as presidential candidate, explain why Mauricio Macri was unable to get reelected

Come diventare una donna di successo nel periodo Kamakura (1185-1333). Consigli utili dalla Lettera di Abutsu

The paper focuses on Abutsu’s Letter, the first career guide for younger noble-women written by Nun Abutsu (1225–1283). This work is a long letter to her only daughter, Ki no Naishi, to provide good advice on some important matters such as proper deport- ment, necessary artistic skills and the right path to succeed in life at court. By analising Abutsu’s Letter the paper tries to reconstruct the daily life of medieval noble women, their upbringing and aspirations. It also casts light on women’s innermost feelings and fears in an era of great changings, exploring what kind of practical solutions they have if their dreams go unfulfilled

Tra corte, casa e monastero. La vita di una donna nel Giappone del Medioevo.

In Japanese history the establishment of the ie, or family system, on which patriarchal authority was based, represents one of the most important turning points. The ie that came into being from the late eleventh century onwards, differs from the uji that had characterized previous eras, not so much on account of its patriarchal system but because it would place the married couple in prime position. The family, previously made up of a man engaging in occasional relationships with a number of women, would gradually become a more stable nucleus comprising of a husband with a wife who enjoyed a legally recognized position of privilege compared with all the other concubines. After her husband’s death, she would naturally become a sort of substitute figure, often gaining considerable authority and prestige. With the threat of the Mongolian invasions (from 1274 and 1281) and the consequent increase in limitations on women’s inheritance rights, many widows were forced to take vows as a sign of loyalty and tangible proof of their choice not to remarry if they were to secure their husband’s property. The literary production of Nun Abutsu (1225 ca.-1283 ca.) written in a period which led to the inevitable breakdown of the economic, social, and political balance of Japan, offers a realistic description of women’s ambitions, duties and concerns in an era of great transformation. In a close reading of her major works Abutsu no fumi (The letter of Abutsu,1264 ca.), Utatane (Fitful slumbers, XIII century) and Izayoi nikki (The Diary of the sixteenth night moon, 1280 ca.), the book casts light on some important issues in Japanese women’s history: the gradual shift from uxorical to virilocal marriage, the consequences of this process for inheritance patterns, the meaning of women’s participation in the intellectual life of their time

Onna no yobai. ‘Donne intraprendenti’ nell’antico Giappone

The paper analyzes numerous literary documents produced in Nara and Heian period to cast light on the habits which regulated male-female relations in ancient Japan

The role played by exotic plants in urban ecosystems: comments on Spennemann, 2019

The article written by Dirk HR Spennemann, and published in the European Journal of Ecology, addresses the role played by a palm tree species native to the Canary Islands as food source for several frugivore species found in Australian cities. This palm tree bears fruit throughout the year; therefore, it is a reliable food source in winter and helps increasing wildlife support. Spennemann avoids the native versus exotic dogmatic simplism; instead, he assesses the palm tree species based on its positive environmental impact

Introduzione alla scrittura giapponese

Introduzione all'apprendimento della scrittura giapponese con esercizi e note esplicative