본문 바로가기
  • Home

Acceptance of Buddhism in Otogibouko: One aspect of the story of the old enemy of the Houjo family

  • Journal of Japanese Culture
  • 2020, (84), pp.145-169
  • DOI : 10.21481/jbunka..84.202002.145
  • Publisher : The Japanese Culture Association Of Korea (Jcak)
  • Research Area : Humanities > Japanese Language and Literature
  • Received : December 30, 2019
  • Accepted : January 30, 2020
  • Published : February 29, 2020

PIAO AIHUA 1

1성신여자대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examined the characters and authors’ intentions in literary adaptations, based on four stories: “Revived after seeing hell (地獄を見て蘇)” ; “The upright civil servant who received a government position after death (廉直頭人死司官職)” ; “Form connection with a ghost upon making a wish (祈て幽霊に契る)” ; and “Unable to achieve prestige due to the sin of adultery (邪婬の罪立身せず).” These stories concern the Miura family, an old enemy of the Houjo family, as well as the Uesugi family. The research confirmed that these four tales of hell and retribution have a strong Buddhist color. The image of the main character as an upright Confucian scholar in “Revived after seeing hell” can be interpreted as a projection of the character of Miura Dosun and his family, who wish to leave their name behind by choosing an honorable death as samurai. The commonality of the three stories “The upright civil servant who received a government position after death,” dealing with a government official; “Form connection with a ghost upon making a wish” ; and “Unable to achieve prestige due to the sin of adultery,” dealing with male desire is the appearance of Uesugi Norimasa’s retainers. They appear only as negative figures who exploit the people by playing sly, obscene games the whole time. This seems to be related to family customs and the personality of the foolish master, Uesugi Norimasa, when he was a Kanto-Kanrei.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.