A partir do cotejo e da análise de várias obras pictóricas (pinturas, gravuras e ilustrações do Japão) e narrativas (livros, contos, peças de teatro, filmes, animações e quadrinhos japoneses), este trabalho busca apresentar a variedade e o sincretismo do sobrenatural no Japão, que não se encontra somente nos deuses xintoístas (kami), nas divindades budistas (bosatsu), nos fantasmas (yûrei), nas criaturas folclóricas (yôkai) e nos fenômenos sobrenaturais produzidos por estes, mas também nos monges, xamãs, adivinhos e nas tentativas de controlar magicamente o rumo das coisas amuletos, oráculos, festivais, rituais e oferendas. O primeiro capítulo apresenta um breve histórico das pesquisas sobre youkais e também procura defini-los e apresentar suas características próprias. O estudo prossegue definindo e caracterizando também os fantasmas japoneses. No segundo capítulo, tratamos de Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), peça de kabuki escrita por Tsuruya Nanboku IV, a obra fantástica mais adaptada do Japão. Através dela, observamos o terror sobrenatural criado a partir de uma base realista-naturalista e tentamos discutir as mudanças nos papéis desempenhados pelos gêneros e as imbricadas relações entre fato, ficção, religião e folclore. Além disso, apresentamos em detalhes o icônico personagem de Oiwa e também exemplos de como são executados efeitos especiais teatrais conhecidos em japonês como keren. A dissertação se conclui com observações sobre as dificuldades encontradas no estudo de uma cultura estrangeira e a apresentação de questões suscitadas pelo decurso da pesquisa / From the collation and analysis of various pictorial works ( paintings, prints and illustrations from Japan ) and narratives ( Japanese books, short stories, plays, films, animations and comics ) , this study aims to present the variety and the syncretism of the supernatural in Japan, which is not only in the Shinto gods ( kami ), in the Buddhist deities ( bosatsu ), in ghosts ( yûrei ), in folkloric creatures ( yôkai ) and in supernatural phenomena produced by them, but also in the monks, shamans, diviners and in attempts to magically control the direction of things amulets, oracles, festivals, rituals and offerings. The first chapter presents a brief history of research on yokai and also seeks to define them and present their own characteristics. The study goes on also defining and featuring the Japanese ghosts. In the second chapter, we treat of Tôkaido Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the most adapted fantastique work of Japan. Through it, we see the supernatural horror created from a realistic-naturalistic base and we try to discuss the changes in roles played by genders and the intertwined relations between fact, fiction, religion and folklore. Furthermore, we present in detail the iconic character of Oiwa and also examples of how theatrical special effects known in Japanese as keren run. The dissertation concludes with observations on the difficulties encountered in the study of a foreign culture and with the presentation of issues raised by the course of the research

A partir do cotejo e da análise de várias obras pictóricas (pinturas, gravuras e ilustrações do Japão) e narrativas (livros, contos, peças de teatro, filmes, animações e quadrinhos japoneses), este trabalho busca apresentar a variedade e o sincretismo do sobrenatural no Japão, que não se encontra somente nos deuses xintoístas (kami), nas divindades budistas (bosatsu), nos fantasmas (yûrei), nas criaturas folclóricas (yôkai) e nos fenômenos sobrenaturais produzidos por estes, mas também nos monges, xamãs, adivinhos e nas tentativas de controlar magicamente o rumo das coisas amuletos, oráculos, festivais, rituais e oferendas. O primeiro capítulo apresenta um breve histórico das pesquisas sobre youkais e também procura defini-los e apresentar suas características próprias. O estudo prossegue definindo e caracterizando também os fantasmas japoneses. No segundo capítulo, tratamos de Tôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), peça de kabuki escrita por Tsuruya Nanboku IV, a obra fantástica mais adaptada do Japão. Através dela, observamos o terror sobrenatural criado a partir de uma base realista-naturalista e tentamos discutir as mudanças nos papéis desempenhados pelos gêneros e as imbricadas relações entre fato, ficção, religião e folclore. Além disso, apresentamos em detalhes o icônico personagem de Oiwa e também exemplos de como são executados efeitos especiais teatrais conhecidos em japonês como keren. A dissertação se conclui com observações sobre as dificuldades encontradas no estudo de uma cultura estrangeira e a apresentação de questões suscitadas pelo decurso da pesquisa / From the collation and analysis of various pictorial works ( paintings, prints and illustrations from Japan ) and narratives ( Japanese books, short stories, plays, films, animations and comics ) , this study aims to present the variety and the syncretism of the supernatural in Japan, which is not only in the Shinto gods ( kami ), in the Buddhist deities ( bosatsu ), in ghosts ( yûrei ), in folkloric creatures ( yôkai ) and in supernatural phenomena produced by them, but also in the monks, shamans, diviners and in attempts to magically control the direction of things amulets, oracles, festivals, rituals and offerings. The first chapter presents a brief history of research on yokai and also seeks to define them and present their own characteristics. The study goes on also defining and featuring the Japanese ghosts. In the second chapter, we treat of Tôkaido Yotsuya Kaidan (1825), written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV, the most adapted fantastique work of Japan. Through it, we see the supernatural horror created from a realistic-naturalistic base and we try to discuss the changes in roles played by genders and the intertwined relations between fact, fiction, religion and folklore. Furthermore, we present in detail the iconic character of Oiwa and also examples of how theatrical special effects known in Japanese as keren run. The dissertation concludes with observations on the difficulties encountered in the study of a foreign culture and with the presentation of issues raised by the course of the research

O presente trabalho apresenta a perspectiva do sobrenatural, representado em narrativas japonesas que tratam do estranho e do mistério, pertencentes ao gênero literário kaidan. Nesse contexto, esta dissertação descreverá o imaginário popular japonês e determinados tipos de seres sobrenaturais, com a proposta de melhor compreender a relação do povo nipônico com este tema. Posteriormente a esta descrição, será abordada a formação da literatura kaidan e suas características gerais. Para melhor compreender o conteúdo das narrativas pertencentes a este gênero, serão utilizados os textos da obra Kwaidan, de Lafcadio Hearn. Desta forma, far-se-á necessária a apresentação de um breve histórico do referido autor, sua produção literária e sua relação com a cultura japonesa. Por fim, realizaremos uma análise das narrativas do Kwaidan, no intento de desvendar a forma como os seres sobrenaturais atuam alegoricamente no imaginário japonês. Além disso, este estudo analítico também nos permitirá elucidar os diversos mecanismos das estruturas textuais que conferem a algumas das narrativas o aspecto fantástico e assustador. / This paper presents the perspective of the supernatural, represented in Japanese narratives that discuss what is strange things and mysterious, which belong to the kaidan literary genre. In this context, this paper will describe the Japanese popular imagination and certain types of supernatural beings, in order to better understand the relation between the Japanese people and this theme. Following this description, it will be discussed the formation of kaidan literature and its general characteristics. To better understand the content of the narratives that belong to this genre, texts of the work Kwaidan, of Lafcadio Hearn, will be used. Thus, it is necessary to present a brief history of that author, his literary production and its relation to Japanese culture. Finally, we will conduct an analysis of the narratives of Kwaidan, in an attempt to unravel how the supernatural beings act allegorically in the Japanese imagination. Additionally, this analytical study will also allow us to elucidate the various mechanisms of the textual structures used in the narratives which give them the fantastic and frightful imprint.

O presente trabalho apresenta a perspectiva do sobrenatural, representado em narrativas japonesas que tratam do estranho e do mistério, pertencentes ao gênero literário kaidan. Nesse contexto, esta dissertação descreverá o imaginário popular japonês e determinados tipos de seres sobrenaturais, com a proposta de melhor compreender a relação do povo nipônico com este tema. Posteriormente a esta descrição, será abordada a formação da literatura kaidan e suas características gerais. Para melhor compreender o conteúdo das narrativas pertencentes a este gênero, serão utilizados os textos da obra Kwaidan, de Lafcadio Hearn. Desta forma, far-se-á necessária a apresentação de um breve histórico do referido autor, sua produção literária e sua relação com a cultura japonesa. Por fim, realizaremos uma análise das narrativas do Kwaidan, no intento de desvendar a forma como os seres sobrenaturais atuam alegoricamente no imaginário japonês. Além disso, este estudo analítico também nos permitirá elucidar os diversos mecanismos das estruturas textuais que conferem a algumas das narrativas o aspecto fantástico e assustador. / This paper presents the perspective of the supernatural, represented in Japanese narratives that discuss what is strange things and mysterious, which belong to the kaidan literary genre. In this context, this paper will describe the Japanese popular imagination and certain types of supernatural beings, in order to better understand the relation between the Japanese people and this theme. Following this description, it will be discussed the formation of kaidan literature and its general characteristics. To better understand the content of the narratives that belong to this genre, texts of the work Kwaidan, of Lafcadio Hearn, will be used. Thus, it is necessary to present a brief history of that author, his literary production and its relation to Japanese culture. Finally, we will conduct an analysis of the narratives of Kwaidan, in an attempt to unravel how the supernatural beings act allegorically in the Japanese imagination. Additionally, this analytical study will also allow us to elucidate the various mechanisms of the textual structures used in the narratives which give them the fantastic and frightful imprint.

The world of Japanese literature spans a vast number of genres and media, so much that while it makes sense that English speaking academia is unaware of many prolific and influential authors and works, it might be surprising that some of those same people and publications are not well studied in their original language. Even though this is common among many languages, older Japanese texts have the added challenge of a variant grammar structure and writing style that forces scholars to be aware of the differences in the classical variation of the language. To that end, the author named Aoki Rosui may not be a household name within many circles of Japanese literary study. Still, extensive study of the horror stories known as kaidan and hyaku monogatari as well as Edo period Japanese literature as a whole is incomplete without knowing of his life and his contribution entitled Otogi hyaku monogatari. By gaining a rudimentary knowledge of the man behind this collection of ghost tales, as well as the people who exerted a significant influence on him, his reasons and methods taken in writing his collection of stories can be explored. At the same time, the classification of certain types of media into conventions known as genres is a very ambiguous field. Working through a variety of genres, both specific to Japan and general, will reveal the sheer variety that the kaidan category allows the author to explore. Preceding the annotated translation of a selection of Otogi hyaku monogatari will be a brief introduction and analysis of each of the stories that have been selected, using various references as support for the types of mythological and historical icons contained within them. Finally, I will present how I went about translating the preface and five stories with a brief discussion on translation methods before presenting the English version of the Japanese text.

Kaidan is a genre of supernatural tales that became popular during Japan’s Edo period. In 1627, Hayashi Razan translated numerous supernatural tales from China and collected them in five volumes in a work known as Kaidan zensho, the “Complete Collection of Strange Works.” Hayashi Razan was an influential Neo-Confucian scholar and was instrumental in establishing Neo-Confucianism as a dominant ideological force in Tokugawa Japan. As his teachings and stories reached a wide audience, and the government was supportive of Neo-Confucian ideas in Japan, his Kaidan tales, which contained subtle didactic elements, enjoyed success. However, Kaidan zensho was never translated into English. Many of the tales within the Kaidan zensho expressed didactic messages by using supernatural depictions of animals as narrative devices. The animals usually were caricatures of a person or group, and were furthermore depicted in a negative fashion. These animals were shown to be unable to act in a moral manner, so their purpose in these tales was to highlight the moral decisions made on the part of the stories’ protagonists. Chapter one of this thesis introduces the kaidan genre, provides context for 17th century Japan, and how Neo-Confucianism influenced Tokugawa government and culture. Chapter two analyzes the Kaidan zensho tales for their use of animals, grouping the stories by theme – benevolence, ingratitude, fear of women, and impermanence. It explains what the animals represent and how they highlight the moral of the story. Chapter three is my original translation of fifteen tales focusing on animals found in Kaidan zensho, with notes to provide context to the stories.

Arakida Reijo has been described as the most prolific female writer in Japanese premodern history, with her literary output encompassing a huge number of texts in a variety of genres. However, her works remain for the most part untranslated from the original classical Japanese, and she is almost a nonentity in modern literary academia. Given the widespread lack of female education in the Tokugawa period combined with the era’s general image of male societal domination, an argument might be made for Reijo’s inclusion in modern scholarship due to her status as an educated woman alone. However, Reijo’s masterful handling of complicated plots, both interesting as entertainment and rewarding for further academic study, merits a place for her in the Japanese canon even apart from her rarity as an educated female author from the Tokugawa period. As will be examined in this paper, Reijo’s treatment of supernatural women in her 1778 collection of fantastic tales Ayashi no yogatari, or “Tales of the Uncanny,” stands as an interesting departure from the often misogynistic themes in premodern Japanese supernatural tales. Reijo’s treatment of supernatural women becomes all the more interesting when compared against traditional and contemporary literature, as rather than attempting a complete reversal of ideas and motifs of her day, Reijo instead affects more subtle but important changes. While the women in her stories still often lack agency and interiority, and furthermore still play the role of the “monster,” subject to supernatural metamorphoses, Reijo’s tales often lack both the ultimate judgement of these characters and the subsequent didactic atmosphere present in so many similar tales. An analysis of Reijo’s tales in comparison with traditional and contemporary literature reveals the uniqueness of her approach and its import in the Japanese literary tradition.

This thesis explores the world of Chūshingura. It is a story based on the actual vendetta referred to as "the Akō incident" which occurred on December 14th of 1702. The forty-seven Akō rōnin (masterless samurai) avenged their lord‘s death on Kira Yoshinaka, a high-ranking official of the Tokugawa bakufu. They were the former vassals of Asano Naganori, daimyō (feudal lord) of the Akō han (domain), who was forced to commit seppuku (suicide by disembowelment) as a punishment for attacking Kira in Edo Castle on March 14th of 1701. The Asano vassals became rōnin. They believed that this affair was a kenka (fight), but Kira was declared innocent. Infuriated by the unfair bakufu judgement, the Akō rōnin led by Ōishi Kranosuke, karō (chief retainer) of the Akō han, successfully carried out the vendetta. A month and a half later, all the vendetta league members were sentenced to seppuku. This incident had a strong impact on the people in the peaceful Genroku era and it has since been taken up in various forms of entertainment and art. Among them, a kabuki and jōruri play (Japanese traditional puppet play) Kanadehon Chūshingura has maintained an unsurpassed status since its first performance in 1748. After Kanadehon, the term Chūshingura has become the title of almost all the Akō-mono (works with the theme of the Akō incident). However, this play mainly depicts the fate of fictional characters outside the vendetta league. The first purpose of this thesis is to investigate the reasons for the long-lasting popularity of Kanadehon as the most representative Chūshingura story, in spite of the clear absence of historical facts. As the second purpose, this thesis will examine the recent polarization trend in Chūshingura productions. Until a few decades ago, the straightforward vendetta stories with Ōishi the hero versus Kira the villain boasted overwhelming popularity. While the popularity of these ―orthodox‖ stories is rapidly diminishing, Chūshingura stories with diverse perspectives, such as those featuring defectors, have been steadily increasing in the modern age. Performances of Chūshingura parodies written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV in the early 1800s are also increasing both in traditional and contemporary plays. After having investigated this polarization trend and ascertained its reasons, I will try to forecast the future of Chūshingura. / Graduate

Although widely viewed in the West, Japanese films are often misunderstood, as they are built on cultural, theatrical, and aesthetic traditions entirely foreign to Western audiences. Particularly in regards to Japan's "fantastic" cinema - including giant monster pictures, ghost stories, and "J-Horror" films - what is often perceived as "cheap" or "cheesy" is merely an expression of these unique cultural roots. By observing and exploring such cultural artifacts as kabuki, noh, and bunraku - the traditional theatrical forms of Japan - long-standing literary traditions, deeply embedded philosophical beliefs, and even more recent developments such as the controversial dance form butoh, these films, including Gojira (1954), Daimajin (1966), Kwaidan (1964), Onibaba (1964), Testuo the Iron Man (1989), and Ju-On (2002), can be placed in their proper perspective, leading to a reevaluation of their worth not merely as commercial products, but as uniquely Japanese expressions of that society's unique place in world culture.

As a text Botandōrō demonstrates bibliographic codes that straddle the border between modern and pre-modern literature. Wakabayashi would present his work as the fruit of his technique of ‘photographing language’ that, by extension, would provide closer and more direct access to the interiority of “author.” In his prologue he presented his shorthand method as a technique that would come to represent the new standard of modern writing. As they created a new system for transcribing language, stenographers were wrestling with the philosophical nature and limitations of language in spoken and written form, and their discoveries and accomplishments would provide a framework for future authors during a highly transformative period in the history of Japanese literature, whether intentional or not. By focusing on these paratextual elements in Botandōrō in the context of the tale’s intertextual construction we find that it is best viewed as a text that exhibits aspects of modern and pre-modern literature in its presentation as a material object, the claims it makes for sokki as a modern writing technique, and its negotiations with the idea of authorship.