Exploring the East: Japanese Journey

Exploring the Beauty of Japanese Poetry Japanese poetry is one of the oldest poetic genres in the world, with the origins of it’s evolution dating back to the 6th century. With such a storied tradition, numerous poets have honed the craft over the years, and the murals and monuments that decorate the country pay tribute to the artform’s rich and ancient history. But, what exactly is it about this poetry that has kept it alive for so many centuries? To truly understand the beauty of Japanese poetry, it is worthwhile to explore why this art form has flourished over the years. At its core, Japanese poetry is deeply tied to nature and the relationship that the Japanese have with their land. Japanese poets often reference the natural beauty of their country, with some poems evoking a range of emotions from the reader. The haiku is the most famous of Japanese poetry forms and, with just seventeen syllables, haiku poets capture immense depth and beauty during brief periods of intense focus. ...

Exploring the History of the Japanese Language Ever wondered how the Japanese language came to be? How it evolved and how it influences Japanese culture today? Then buckle up and get ready to explore the fascinating history of the Japanese language! The Japanese language is said to have existed as early as the 4th century CE. It is believed to have developed from Old Korean language as it was passed onto the Japanese people. The Korean language in turn is considered to be a relative of the Altaic language family, which includes Turkish, Mongolian and Manchu. This means that Japanese language has the same core linguistic structures like those language functions. The development of the Japanese language from the 4th to 9th century is referred to as Old or Ancient Japanese. At this time, the language had no scripts of its own, and instead was written in Chinese characters. The Chinese characters were adapted to represent the sounds of the language by adding diacritical marks as pronuncia...