The Relationship between the Reception of Classical Literature and the Evaluation of Cultural Properties Relating to the Classics in Modern and Contemporary Japan

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870132
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Literature in general; Japanese literature
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: NAGAI Kumiko 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (10647994)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 近現代 / 日本古典文学 / 文化財保護 / 美術市場

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It was after the literary works written by kana characters in the Heian period started to be regarded as the essence of the Japanese “original” culture that the values of the narrative painting scrolls, the ancient copies of imperial tales and the calligraphies of waka poetry rose in modern Japan.
The cultural properties protection administrations in Japan started from the investigations and preservation of the treasures of old shrines and temples to avoid domestic anti-Buddhist movement. Subsequently, Japanese government needed to prevent outflows of Japanese artworks. The establishment of academic frameworks of Japanese literature raised the values of literary works and accelerated the protection of literary works as cultural properties.
This is a new interdisciplinary examination, and this study blazed a trail both in the field of art history and literature. The papers about the research were read and published both within and outside Japan.

Free Research Field

比較文学