Tamakatsuma
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Tamakatsuma (玉勝間; lit: Jewelled basket) is a book by Motoori Norinaga in the Edo Period.[1] It is important to the discipline of Kokugaku[1]
Overview
[change | change source]Tamakatsuma is one of Norinaga’s most important books. It is a collection of essays. He began in 1792, and they were published from 1795 to 1801.[1]
Norinaga started writing Tamakatsuma in 1793. He worked on it until 1801, and revised it until it was finished. Parts of the book were published between 1795 and 1812, three volumes at a time.[1]
The name "Tamakatsuma" means "Jewelled bamboo basket".[2] It was meant as a metaphorical basket that he put his thoughts in.[2] It is a pillow word, a type of Japanese figure of speech.[2]
The book records what Norinaga learned from his studies of old Japanese texts. It shows his ideas about many things like the ways of the court and samurai, etymology, and local customs. Norinaga wrote that "in the countryside, there are many old and interesting customs, such as funerals and weddings." This makes the book important for folklore as well. It also shows Norinaga’s way of life and thought in his later years.
Contents
[change | change source]The book covers many topics, especially after Norinaga finished his major work, the Kojiki-den. Subjects include:[1]
- Ancient texts: quotations and notes from old records.
- Language: study of local words and dialects.
- Geography: shrine records and gazetteers.
- Autobiography: details about Norinaga’s own life.
- Culture: criticism of Chinese influence in Japan.
- Scholarship: Norinaga’s other studies.
Publication
[change | change source]The essays came out in five groups of three volumes each. This slow release kept Norinaga’s ideas in discussion for almost twenty years, and let people see his thoughts as they developed.[1]
Legacy
[change | change source]Today, Tamakatsuma is seen as an important scholarly work of its time. It is printed in Motoori Norinaga Zenshū (Chikuma Shobō, 1968) and in Nihon Shisō Taikei (Iwanami Shoten, 1978). These editions keep the book available for students of Japanese history and thought.[1]