Kana and Kanbun Texts in Early and Classical Japan

Harvard FAS

Educated classes in premodern Japan read and often wrote utilizing both kana (“vernacular”) and kanbun (“Chinese”) writing systems in recording their lives and creating art. Following in their footsteps, students will read and translate texts written in both kana and kanbun from Japan’s early and classical periods (710-1185). We will explore differences in form and content between the two writing styles along with linguistic quirks featured in our readings. We…