This thesis aims to offer a scholarly approach to the poetics of Princess Shokushi, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential female poets of the pre-modem era. Princess Shokushi is generally regarded as a poet of imagination, mainly because she wrote a number of passionate love poems despite her lifelong celibacy, imposed on her by her position as imperial princess. While some scholars conclude that Shokushi’s poetry came from her mastery of the traditional craft and a vigorous poetic imagination, others see her poetry as the personal expression of her innermost feelings and life experiences. Focusing on this controversy over whether or not her poetry is, in fact, based on real life experiences or merely invented—which some claim she did by exploiting the poetic conventions of the Japanese male poets of the day—this paper explores Shokushi’s distinctive poetic expression through her use of the literary technique called honka-dori, allusive variation. This research pays special attention to the poems that allude to The Tale ofGenii and reveals how Shokushi’s frequent allusions to this tale and its characters signal her profound interest in the story beyond the conventional literary trends of her time. Shokushi often refers to the specific female characters in her poems—Oigimi, Ukifune, and Lady Murasaki—, abandoned imperial princesses, whose lack of strong family support leaves them in close confinement deep in the mountains. By examining Shokushi’s poetry in the contexts of this narrative, ultimately, this paper will show how, in alluding to these female characters, Shokushi not only furthers her own image as an isolated imperial princess, but also throws light on these female characters’ inner sufferings, which are unknown to the male characters with whom they associate.

This thesis aims to offer a scholarly approach to the poetics of Princess Shokushi, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential female poets of the pre-modem era. Princess Shokushi is generally regarded as a poet of imagination, mainly because she wrote a number of passionate love poems despite her lifelong celibacy, imposed on her by her position as imperial princess. While some scholars conclude that Shokushi’s poetry came from her mastery of the traditional craft and a vigorous poetic imagination, others see her poetry as the personal expression of her innermost feelings and life experiences. Focusing on this controversy over whether or not her poetry is, in fact, based on real life experiences or merely invented—which some claim she did by exploiting the poetic conventions of the Japanese male poets of the day—this paper explores Shokushi’s distinctive poetic expression through her use of the literary technique called honka-dori, allusive variation. This research pays special attention to the poems that allude to The Tale ofGenii and reveals how Shokushi’s frequent allusions to this tale and its characters signal her profound interest in the story beyond the conventional literary trends of her time. Shokushi often refers to the specific female characters in her poems—Oigimi, Ukifune, and Lady Murasaki—, abandoned imperial princesses, whose lack of strong family support leaves them in close confinement deep in the mountains. By examining Shokushi’s poetry in the contexts of this narrative, ultimately, this paper will show how, in alluding to these female characters, Shokushi not only furthers her own image as an isolated imperial princess, but also throws light on these female characters’ inner sufferings, which are unknown to the male characters with whom they associate.

This thesis aims to offer a scholarly approach to the poetics of Princess Shokushi, one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential female poets of the pre-modem era. Princess Shokushi is generally regarded as a poet of imagination, mainly because she wrote a number of passionate love poems despite her lifelong celibacy, imposed on her by her position as imperial princess. While some scholars conclude that Shokushi’s poetry came from her mastery of the traditional craft and a vigorous poetic imagination, others see her poetry as the personal expression of her innermost feelings and life experiences. Focusing on this controversy over whether or not her poetry is, in fact, based on real life experiences or merely invented—which some claim she did by exploiting the poetic conventions of the Japanese male poets of the day—this paper explores Shokushi’s distinctive poetic expression through her use of the literary technique called honka-dori, allusive variation. This research pays special attention to the poems that allude to The Tale ofGenii and reveals how Shokushi’s frequent allusions to this tale and its characters signal her profound interest in the story beyond the conventional literary trends of her time. Shokushi often refers to the specific female characters in her poems—Oigimi, Ukifune, and Lady Murasaki—, abandoned imperial princesses, whose lack of strong family support leaves them in close confinement deep in the mountains. By examining Shokushi’s poetry in the contexts of this narrative, ultimately, this paper will show how, in alluding to these female characters, Shokushi not only furthers her own image as an isolated imperial princess, but also throws light on these female characters’ inner sufferings, which are unknown to the male characters with whom they associate. / Arts, Faculty of / Asian Studies, Department of / Graduate

"Zugl., Hamburg, Universiẗat, Diss., 2000"--T.p. verso. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [377]-393) and indexes.

This thesis concerns the life-histories of the two contemporary Polynesian vovaging canoes from Aotearoa New Zealand. It documents the background, construction and voyages of Hawaiki Nui (1979 - 1986) built by Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and Te Aurere (1992 - 1998) built by Hekenukumai Puhipi Busby. It also highlights the historical and cultural significance of waka for Maori and other indigenous Pacific peoples. Based on my field work as a participant in Maori voyaging between 1996 and 1998, I argue that this revival of waka voyaging reaffirms the cultural identities of contemporary Maori and other Polynesians. The case studies of Hawaiki Nui and Te Aurere confirm the ongoing significance of waka not only in Aotearoa New Zealand, but Pacific-wide. Contemporary Polynesian waka voyaging is historically significant as it revives unique Polynesian skills, such as traditional waka-building, navigation and sailing techniques. It is also culturally significant, as it reinforces central Maori (and Polynesian) cultural concepts, such as whakapapa (genealogy ties) and whanaungatanga (sense of belonging). At a time when Maori(as well as other indigenous Pacific peoples) are constantly negotiating and redefining their cultural boundaries within their respective socio-political contexts, Polynesian voyaging waka are reappearing as a strong symbol of Pacific Islanders� cultural identities. As a symbol of a shared seafaring past they create timeless platforms for Maori and other Polynesians to negotiate the boundaries of their cultures.

This thesis concerns the life-histories of the two contemporary Polynesian vovaging canoes from Aotearoa New Zealand. It documents the background, construction and voyages of Hawaiki Nui (1979 - 1986) built by Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell and Te Aurere (1992 - 1998) built by Hekenukumai Puhipi Busby. It also highlights the historical and cultural significance of waka for Maori and other indigenous Pacific peoples. Based on my field work as a participant in Maori voyaging between 1996 and 1998, I argue that this revival of waka voyaging reaffirms the cultural identities of contemporary Maori and other Polynesians. The case studies of Hawaiki Nui and Te Aurere confirm the ongoing significance of waka not only in Aotearoa New Zealand, but Pacific-wide. Contemporary Polynesian waka voyaging is historically significant as it revives unique Polynesian skills, such as traditional waka-building, navigation and sailing techniques. It is also culturally significant, as it reinforces central Maori (and Polynesian) cultural concepts, such as whakapapa (genealogy ties) and whanaungatanga (sense of belonging). At a time when Maori(as well as other indigenous Pacific peoples) are constantly negotiating and redefining their cultural boundaries within their respective socio-political contexts, Polynesian voyaging waka are reappearing as a strong symbol of Pacific Islanders� cultural identities. As a symbol of a shared seafaring past they create timeless platforms for Maori and other Polynesians to negotiate the boundaries of their cultures.

Univ., Diss.--Tübingen, 2002.

This dissertation argues that throughout premodern Japan, classical Japanese poetry (waka) served as a vehicle for the transmission of social knowledge, cultural memory, and specialized information. Waka was originally indispensable to private and public social interactions among aristocrats, but it came to play a diversity of functions for warriors, monks, farmers, merchants, and other social groups at each and every level of premodern society and over many centuries, particularly from the late Heian period (785-1185) through the Edo period (1600-1868). To trace the changes in the social functions of waka, this dissertation explores several moments in the history of waka: the development of a pedagogy for waka in the poetic treatises of the Heian period; the reception of these works in anecdotal collections of the Kamakura period (1192-1333), particularly those geared towards warriors; the use of humorous waka (kyôka), in particular those with satiric and parodic intent, in Muromachi-period (1333-1467) narratives for commoners; and the use of waka as pedagogical instruments for the codification, preservation, transmission, and memorization of knowledge about disciplines as diverse as hawking, kickball, and the tea ceremony. In the epilogue, I trace the efforts of Meiji-period (1868-1911) intellectuals who sought to disconnect waka from any social or pedagogical function, in order to reconceptualize it under the modern European notions of “Literature” and “the Arts.” I conclude that the social functions of poetry in the premodern period should not be understood as extra-literary uses of poems that were otherwise composed as purely literary works in the modern sense. The roles that waka played in pedagogy, in particular in the transmission of cultural memory and social knowledge across diverse social spaces, were an inherent feature of the practice of waka in premodern Japan.

Waka have a special place in the heart of many Maaori. The waka that brought the ancestors of the Maaori to Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu are valued symbols of identity, both culturally and metaphorically. With the effects of colonisation the use of waka as a means of transport disappeared leaving it to re-emerge in the 20th century as a symbol of the revitalisation of Maaori society. Through the construction of waka-taua, ocean going waka and the emergence of waka-ama as a sport, Maaori have endeavoured to reclaim their association to the seas and waterways of New Zealand. This research is a case study of Tupuwae, a kaupapa Maaori injury prevention project using traditional Maaori concepts regarding waka and applying it to a contemporary context. Tapuwae have used this attachment of Maaori to different forms of waka to associate the message of not drinking and driving using purpose-built waka-ama in the southern part of Te Waipounamu. This research identifies some of the wider outcomes that come from a kaupapa Maaori project, but, more importantly it identifies some of the processes that are important in implementing such a project by Maaori living in Otago, outside their tribal boundaries. This research also raises questions about the theoretical underpinnings of kaupapa Maaori theory and argues that there are two threads to this approach, one from a critical theory informed approach and the other from a native theory approach. Key words:Waka, Community Action, Community Development, Kaupapa Maaori, Maaori Development, Maaori Advancement, Native Theory.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Waikato, 2006. / Title from PDF cover (viewed June 11, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-149).