The Kana Phonetic Syllabary In Japanese Literature

While history plays an important role in shaping a country into what it is today, the medium it is also recorded in plays a significant role. Poetry was a common form of storytelling in ancient times with many cultures including it in their literary works. The country of Japan is a prominent figure regarding poetic works, with many famous works and authors coming out of the country. When poetry was first introduced to Japan, the spoken language did not have a written counterpart. This caused problems for Japanese authors who had trouble transcribing their work, so many writers wrote in the Chinese alphabet which did not provide a large range of emotions for people to work with. In the 9th century a Shingon priest and Sanskrit Scholar created the kana phonetic

In the first four centuries CE Japan was still without a written dialect. This changed when Chinese culture found its way to the island and the Japanese rapidly adopted the written language. The first major era started when the capital city of Japan, Heian-kyō, was founded. This kicked off the first period of literary brilliance where the foundations of poetry and literature began. In the 12th century, the medieval period began, bringing a change of styles. This was due to the Samurai coming into power and bringing martial discipline with them. Poets often looked for the deeper meanings in life and often looked to the spiritual side to interpret their surroundings. The last historical period of writing was the Tokugawa period which lasted for over 250 years. During this time, the Japanese had achieved reunification and were experiencing a period of uninterrupted peace. This seclusion brought about many indigenous styles that were only found in Japan. It was during this time that the popular haiku emerged. This was the last literary age before modern