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Heike Monogatari
The Battle of Yashima, from the Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari), folding screen by an unknown artist of the Tosa School, Japan, 17th century.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Definition
Japanese War Tales
War tales (gunki monogatari) is a genre of historical writing that developed in Japan from the Heian Period (794-1185) to the Muromachi Period (1333-1573). They form an important element in the development of the Japanese literary tradition...

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Soga Monogatari
Wada (Yoshimori's) Drinking Bout, an episode from Soga monogatari (Tale of the Soga Brothers), woodblock printed book with hand-colouring, by an unknown artist, Japan, c. 1624.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Definition
Itsukushima Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine on the island of the same name, also known as Miyajima, located in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Traditionally founded in the 6th century CE, the present layout of buildings dates to the 12th...

Definition
Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) was a Japanese playwright who wrote for both the puppet theatre and kabuki. He is regarded as Japan’s greatest dramatist. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, his plays are of value because they provide an insight...

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Japanese Ghost Stories: Vengeful Ghosts of the Heike Clan
The story of the vengeful ghosts of the Heike Clan (Heike Ichizoku no Onryo) is told.

Definition
Tale of Genji
The 'Tale of the Genji' or Genji Monogatari, written in the 11th century CE by Murasaki Shikibu, a court lady, is Japan's oldest novel and possibly the first novel in world literature. The classic of Japanese literature, the work describes...

Definition
Kamakura Period
The Kamakura Period or Kamakura Jidai (1185-1333 CE) of medieval Japan began when Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-1199 CE) defeated the Taira clan at the Battle of Dannoura in 1185 CE. The period is named after Kamakura, a coastal town 48 kilometres...

Definition
Minamoto Clan
The Minamoto clan was an extended family group which dominated Japanese government and the imperial court in the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The clan famously defeated their arch rivals the Taira in the Genpei War of 1180-1185 CE and included...

Definition
Medieval Japan
The medieval period of Japan is considered by most historians to stretch from 1185 to 1603 CE. Stand out features of the period include the replacement of the aristocracy by the samurai class as the most powerful social group, the establishment...