Key words: Mono wa tsukushi

Keywords are part of the critical vocabulary that relates to each reading. Sometimes these relate to specific historical or cultural events that informed the author. Other keywords define the genre the reading engages with, or sometimes rejects. This portion of the blog is designed to help you have a framework for your own reading, and also to help you start to use the digital resources available via the university to do research.
1. Each student in this group should create their own definition – reply to the appropriate “keyword” thread on iLearn.
2. Choose one of the keywords for the week. Each keyword can be defined by up to 5 students, but you want to get your
definition in early.
3. Search online information/databases to find how scholars of literature and culture have defined these keywords. You
need to use at least one relevant and legitimate resource to use as your definition source. A list of appropriate suggested
sites can be found below.
4. Write a post that defines the term in 200 (min) – 300 (max) words. Create an entry that defines the term and explains the
history, usage, and context of the term in a single paragraph (or two, if needed). You may also post images that relate to

the definition. You may quote up to one full sentence from the scholarly source you’re using. Be sure to complete the
quote by citing author last name and page number (see the sample below).
5. Your post needs to link to the resource you used at the end of your definition, or cite the resource using MLA citation. You
must also provide a one-line evaluation of the resource, highlighting what makes it worthwhile, unusual, or, if appropriate, problematic. In order to be able to assess the definition offered from an online resource, you may need to look at multiple other sources. This is separate from your total word count.

use sites：books.google.com
Sources ok to start with, but not acceptable to use as your “link”: Encyclopedias (including BritannicaOnline and Wikipedia). These are both excellent for a general idea of time periods and the accepted definitions. Wikipedia articles will often link to scholarly articles that CAN be used as part of your definition. Drawbacks – most encyclopedias are very general in their definitions – too general to help you achieve the posting word requirement. Additionally, double check Wikipedia sources because peer editing can sometimes mean the claims are not properly backed up.
While Wikipedia/Britannica may be your jumping off point, you may not use the Wikipedia/Britannica entry as your online resource. Additionally, you may not use newspapers or private blogs as your online resource. You can start there, but you must use legitimate academic research to receive full credit. Databases listed above are accessible from UCR library website

Mono wa tsukushi , which translates to the detailing of things refers to a poetic writing style found in Japanese literature. The style itself consists of “mono,” or topic/thing, and “tsukushi,” the process of providing details and possibilities relating to that topic in the form of a list. This style of writing first appeared in Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book circa 1002 CE, where she would use this style in her collection of diary entries, sometimes with narrative accompaniment. The Pillow Book contains over 100 lists written in the mono wa tsukushi style, which was used in order to remark or detail observations and details the author found in Heian court life. An example of this can be seen in this quote from The Pillow Book where Sei Shonagon states “[19] Residences-The Kanoe Gate. Nijo very fine . Mikai. The Somedono Palace. Segai. The Suguhara Mansion. Reinzei-in, Kan-in, and Suzaku-in. The Ono Palace. Lobai. Agata Well. Take Sanjo. Kohachijo. Koichijo” (Sei 17). Although Sei Shonagon used this style in the 9th century for her book, mono wa tsukushi grew in popularity during the Edo period of Japan during the seventeenth century. A prominent example of this style of poem can be seen in Inu Makura, which translates to the “Dog Pillow.” Although its author is unknown, this book is a regarded as a parody of Sei Shonagon’s book that utilizes Mono wa tsukushi for the purpose of humor and juxtaposition.
https://books.google.com/books?id=jAf9aqjnnGMC&pg=PA23&dq=mono+wa+tsukushi&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjq8YLOpIX XAhXETCYKHVOBAhgQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=mono%20wa%20tsukushi&f=false
My source Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900 is a scholarly work published by the Columbia University Press, indicating a source of scholarly review and prestige. The fact that the book is edited by literary scholar Haruo Shirane (who we even quoted in the Genji debate!) shows the book is a valid scholarly source as well. Although the book does not discuss pre-modern Japanese literature in full detail like we are learning, it does analyze the keyword and its origins quite well.
Shonagon, Sei. The Pillow Book. Trans. Meredith McKinney. Penguin Group USA, 2007.
This is the citation for the translated edition of Sei Shonagon’s The Pillow Book we are reading in class, which is a Japanese text.