Householders: The Reizei Family in Japanese History

by Steven D. Carter

Overview

As direct descendants of the great courtier-poets Fujiwara no Shunzei (1114–1204) and his son Teika (1162–1244), the heirs of the noble Reizei house can claim an unbroken literary lineage that spans over eight hundred years. During all that time, their primary goal has been to sustain the poetic enterprise, or michi (way), of the house and to safeguard its literary assets.

Steven D. Carter weaves together strands of family history, literary criticism, and historical research into a coherent narrative about the evolution of the Reizei Way. What emerges from this innovative approach is an elegant portrait of the Reizei poets as participants in a collective institution devoted more to the continuity of family poetic practices and ideals than to the concept of individual expression that is so central to more modern poetic culture.

In addition to the narrative chapters, the book also features an extensive appendix of one hundred poems from over the centuries, by poets who were affiliated with the Reizei house. Carter’s annotations provide essential critical context for this selection of poems, and his deft translations underscore the rich contributions of the Reizei family and their many disciples to the Japanese poetic tradition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674024533
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	04/30/2007
Series:	Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series , #61
Pages:	515
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Steven D. Carter is Chair and Professor of Asian Languages at Stanford University.

Table of Contents

Charts and Figures

Note on Translation Format

Introduction

1. Mount Ogura

2. Kamakura

3. Wisteria Valley

4. Miyako

5. Muromachi, Sakamoto, and Beyond

6. Suruga, Figisawa, Nara, and Points Between

7. Courtiers' Quarter

8. Tokai Road

9. Abandoned Capital

10. Kyoto

Conclusion

Appendix. One Hundred Poems of the Reizei School

Works Cited

Character List of Japanese Names

General Index