[pp.73-80]

‹Research Report›Research on the plants described by the three major anthologies in ancient Japan

Tomoko MATSUMOTO and Yoshimitsu OMI （Chiba University）

Abstract:
We researched on the plants described by the three major anthologies in Japan, "MANYOU-SYU", "KOKINWAKASYU", and "SHIN-KOKINWAKASYU", in order to investigate about the relation between a people and a plant. One hundred or more kinds of plants were described in the poems of the three major anthologies. The major plant described at the poem in "MANYOSYU", was "Japanese bushclover", in "KOKINWAKASYU" it was "Cherry blossom", and in “SHIN-KOKINWAKASYU” it was "pine". All the plants in the poetry were picked up and identified by the common names used recently. The total number of the plants used each poetry was counted. And the plants name were classified into five groups originally and discussed. "Japanese bushclover" in "MANYOUSYU" means familiarity of the nature with its flower and yellow leaves. "Cherry blossom" in "KOKINWAKASYU" means the original aesthetic sense of Japan. "Pine" in "SHIN-KOKINWAKASYU" means it contemplated culturally on "the air" and "the atmosphere". It turned out that the relation between people and a plant changes with the abundance of a lifestyle. And in order to cure the mind of the people, it is required to get to know such a gradual change.

Key Word:
plant, anthology, poetry, Japanese poem, culture, lifestyle

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