Intertextuality of Seasonal Imagery in Japanese Literature and Woodblock Prints

Teppei Fukuda, doctoral student, East Asian Languages & Literatures (School of Global Studies and Languages) Elements of nature and the four seasons are ubiquitous in Japanese art. Many natural objects are associated with a particular season and often represent a certain theme, emotion, or mood. The cultural lexicon of the four seasons grew out of traditional Japanese poetry. One gallery of woodblock prints in the new exhibition Four Seasons in Japanese Art and Tea represents plenty of seasonal imagery derived from poetry and classical literature. Doctoral student Teppei Fukuda will unpack that imagery, introducing quintessential seasonal words in poetry and tales that inspired these prints.

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