Japanese Literary Awards

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Kazuaki Komine

こみね かずあき

Komine Kazuaki

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-12-10 （Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Japanese literature scholar, University professor, Author, Translator
Active Years
1971-2013
Affiliations
Waseda Jitsugyo (affiliated school), Tokushima University, National Institute of Japanese Literature, Rikkyo University

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Letters, First Department / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 学士
Period: 1967-1971
Year of Graduation: 1971
Country: Japan
Waseda University (Graduate School)
Period: 1971-1977
Year of Graduation: 1977
Country: Japan
Left doctoral program after completing required credits
Waseda University
Degree: 文学博士
Year of Graduation: 1987
Country: Japan
Doctoral thesis: "The Formation and Structure of the Konjaku Monogatarishū"

Awards

Japan Society for Classical Japanese Literature Prize
1981
Organization: Japan Society for Classical Japanese Literature
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Formation and Structure of the Konjaku Monogatarishū

1985 Scholarly research (medieval literature)

A scholarly analysis of the formation and composition of the Konjaku Monogatarishū, examining structural features of the tale collection.

tales (setsuwa)narrative structuremedieval literature

The Forest of Tales: Tengu, Thieves, and Grotesque Jokers

1991 Research / Criticism

Interprets the medieval narrative world through figures such as tengu, thieves, and other grotesque jokers appearing in tales.

characters in tale literaturegrotesque/othernessoral/narrative culture

Reading the World of Medieval Tales

1998 Scholarly study

An accessible study illustrating various aspects of medieval tales, discussing their expressions and historicity.

medieval tale literaturehistory of expressionsocio-cultural history

Running East and West: From Medieval Literature to Global Circuits

2013 Criticism / Research

An essay collection exploring connections between medieval Japanese literature and broader East Asian and global contexts.

East Asian comparisonmedieval literaturecultural exchange

Bibliography

  • The Formation and Structure of the Konjaku Monogatarishū
  • The Forest of Tales: Tengu, Thieves, and Grotesque Jokers
  • Reading the World of Medieval Tales
  • The Expressive Space-Time of Uji Shūi Monogatari
  • Voices of Tales: Narration, Song, and Laughter in the Medieval World
  • The World of the Konjaku Monogatarishū
  • Essays on Insei-Period Literature
  • Reading Medieval Japanese Prophetic Texts (Mirai-ki)
  • The World Filled with Tales: On East Asian Tale Literatures

Translations by Author

  • Silla Shuyi-den: A Fragmentary Collection of Korean Tales (co-edited & translated)
  • Gaokun: Records of Eminent Monks of the Eastern Seas (co-edited & translated)
  • Nihon Ōjō Gokuraki & Zoku Honchō Ōjōden (edited and annotated)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
scholarly and analytical proseemphasis on source criticismcomparative-literary perspective
Recurring Motifs
tale literature (setsuwa)prophetic texts (mirai-ki)grotesque/jester-like figures

Legacy

A scholar with substantial contributions to the study of medieval tale literature in Japan. He enriched scholarship on the Konjaku Monogatarishū and related setsuwa studies and introduced comparative East Asian perspectives.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Society for Classical Japanese Literature

Trivia

  • Graduated from Waseda University (Faculty of Letters) in 1971.
  • Won the Japan Society for Classical Japanese Literature Prize in 1981.
  • Retired from Rikkyo University in 2013 and became professor emeritus.