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Tae Hirano

ひらの たえ

Hirano Tae

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1973-01-01 （Toyama Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Japanese literature scholar, University professor
Active Years
1996-
Affiliations
Jumonji Gakuen Women's University Junior College, Seikei University, Faculty of Letters

Education

Ochanomizu University
Faculty of Letters and Education / Department of Japanese Literature
Year of Graduation: 1996
Country: Japan
The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology
Graduate School of Letters (Doctoral Program)
Degree: 博士（文学）
Year of Graduation: 2005
Country: Japan
Withdrew after completing doctoral coursework; listed as having received a PhD (Literature) in 2005.

Awards

Japan Classical Literature Academic Prize
2012
Work: Myoe: Waka and the Conflict with Buddhism
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Myoe: Waka and the Conflict with Buddhism

2011 Scholarly research / Medieval literature studies

A scholarly study of the medieval monk Myoe, analyzing the interplay between waka poetry and Buddhist practice, focusing on tensions between poetic expression and religious orientation.

medieval literaturewaka poetryBuddhism

Listening to the Voice of the Gods: The Secrets of Omikuji

2017 Popular academic / Folklore study

An accessible exploration of omikuji (fortune slips), covering their forms, history, and relationship to gods and Buddhism, with discussion of divination and belief.

omikujifortune-tellingfolklore

Songs of Omikuji: Thirty-one Syllables and Messages from Gods and Buddhas

2019 Essay / Cultural history

Analyzes the short-poem style expressions found in omikuji, examining their cultural-historical background and the function of conveying messages from deities and Buddhas.

wakaomikujicultural history

The History of Omikuji: Why Are Divine Messages in Poetic Form?

2023 Historical and cultural studies 583 pages

A comprehensive study of the history of omikuji, probing why divine messages have traditionally been conveyed in poetic (tanka-like) form.

omikujireligious historypoetry

Bibliography

  • Myoe: Waka and the Conflict with Buddhism (Kasama Shoin, 2011)
  • Listening to the Voice of the Gods: The Secrets of Omikuji (Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2017)
  • Songs of Omikuji: Thirty-one Syllables and Messages from Gods and Buddhas (Kasama Shoin, 2019)
  • The History of Omikuji: Why Are Divine Messages in Poetic Form? (Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2023)
  • Co-editor: Literature Lessons for University Students: Classical Edition (Sanseido, 2010)
  • Co-editor: Collected Poems of Myoe (Meiji Shoin, 2013)
  • Co-editor: Translation and Commentary on Myoe's Dream Records (Bensei Publishing, 2015)

Adaptations

  • TV appearance: 'The World Unknown to Matsuko' (Omikuji episode, 2019-06-11)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
academic, analytical, comparative cultural approach
Recurring Motifs
waka poetryBuddhist thoughtfortune-telling / omikuji

Legacy

Through studies of medieval literature and the cultural history of omikuji and divination, she has clarified relationships between waka expression and religious practice and promoted broader public understanding via accessible works.

In Popular Culture

  • Appearance on 'The World Unknown to Matsuko' (omikuji episode), 2019

Trivia

  • While at university she reportedly nearly joined Aum Shinrikyo.
  • Uses the Twitter handle 'おみくじ文鳥' (Omikuji Buncho).
  • Specializes in medieval literature and also researches omikuji and divination.