Japanese Literature Through the Years

By berbandy
  • Period: 794 to 1185

    Heian Period

    Genji Mogatari (early eleventh century) by Murasaki Shikibu is considered the pre-eminent masterpiece of Heian fiction and an early example of fiction as a novel.
  • Period: 1185 to

    Kamakura-Muromachi

    Literature reflected the rise and fall of the Taira with a spotlight on their wars with the Minamoto clan.
  • Period: to

    Edo Period

    Composing Renga (a long form of a poem) became a favorite pastime which resulted in Haikai (a comedic Renga). Many genres of literature made their debut and helped raise literacy rates among the growing population with the development of lending libraries.