THE INUSAKA KENO/ASAKENO EPISODE IN HAKKENDEN

James Reichert, Assistant Professor, Modern Japanese Literature, Stanford University examines Kyokutei Bakin's Hakkenden (Tale of Eight Dogs, 1814-42), looking specifically at an episode featuring Inusaka Keno. The strategies for conveying a mix of eroticism and violence are appropriated from late-Edo conventions of kabuki and ukiyoe, particularly the works of playwright Tsuruya Nanboku and print designer Utagawa Kuniyoshi, two exemplars of late-Edo decadent culture. Professor Reichert will focus on how these “decadent” elements operate in conjunction with the didactic aims of the tale, which is generally known for its unstinting affirmation of the warrior class and their value system.

Sponsored by the CENTER FOR EAST ASIAN STUDIES