![]() Second it provides a comprehensive analysis of the religious culture in Japan given particular prominence to the dialogue between Buddhism and Shinto.Ī major thesis of Hearn is that Buddhism is true monotheistic religion focussed on developing the inner Buddha and overcoming existential pain by not seeking physical pleasure whereas Shinto is simply the set of values of the Japanese people with no explicit theology. First it describes Hearn's spiritual voyage to his conversion to Buddhism which will occur in 1896 roughly two years after the publication of "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan". Hearn's book will be tremendous delight to someone like myself who has been a fan of Japanese popular culture for almost sixty hours.Īlthough the book is overly long and given to dreadful meanders it contains two major themes that give it unity. The pieces are tremendously charming and cover a wide range of topics including Shinto, Buddhism in its Japanese form, religious architecture, superstition, cuisine, music, mythology, clothing, hair styles, domestic architecture, geishas, gardening, poetry, calligraphy, art (especially kakemono), children's toys, retailing, the Japanese love of nature, education and child rearing. "Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan" is a compilation of 27 sketches on Japanese culture, of which 10 appeared initially in publications such as the Atlantic Monthly intended for the general American public. Nevertheless, after only a half year, he died of angina pectoris. He quit the Imperial University in 1903 and began to teach at Waseda University on the year next. So many people read his works as an introduction of Japan. In addition, he wrote much reports of Japan and published in America. He got respect of students, many of whom made a remarkable literary career. On that year, he moved to Tôkyô and began to teach at the Imperial University of Tôkyô. He took this name from "Kojiki," a Japanese ancient myth, which roughly translates as "the place where the clouds are born". Hearn worked as a journalist in Kôbé and afterward in 1896 got Japanese citizenship and a new name, Koizumi Yakumo. Kanô Jigorô, the president of the school of that time, spread judo to the world. In 1891, he moved to Kumamoto and taught at the fifth high school for three years. In Matsué, he got acquainted with Nishida Sentarô, a colleague teacher and his lifelong friend, and married Koizumi Setsu, a daughter of a samurai. He afterward moved to Matsué as an English teacher of Shimané prefectural middle school. ![]() ![]() He arrived in Yokohama, but because of a dissatisfaction with the contract, he quickly quit the job. After making remarkable works in America as a journalist, he went to Japan in 1890 as a journey report writer of a magazine. Rosa Cassimati (Ρόζα Αντωνίου Κασιμάτη in Greek), a Greek woman, bore Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χερν in Greek or 小泉八雲 in Japanese), a son, to Charles Hearn, an army doctor from Ireland. Greek-born American writer Lafcadio Hearn spent 15 years in Japan people note his collections of stories and essays, including Kokoro (1896), under pen name Koizumi Yakumo.
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