Japanese Heian literature
1) Rear Palace
The term “rear palace” refers to the space within the palace where the emperor, crown prince, and their consorts resided. My research has interpreted Heian-period tales from the unique perspective of the rear palace. Specifically, I have examined the hierarchy and titles of consorts within these tales, as well as the use of rear palace buildings.
My recent publication is The Stage -Setting of The Tale of Genji (Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2024).
2) The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Hollow Tree
Among Heian-period tales, I am focusing particularly on The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Hollow Tree; the latter significantly influenced The Tale of Genji. I am analyzing them and conducting comparative examinations.
My recent paper on the matter is titled “Masayori’s family in the ‘Kuniyuzuri’ chapter of The Tale of the Hollow Tree” (in The Present State of Classical Literature Research, edited by Masahiro Tetsuno and Kazuko Takagi, Seikansha, 2025).
