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Tsutomu Kusaka

くさか つとむ

Kusaka Tsutomu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-01-10 （Sado, Niigata, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Japanese literature scholar, University professor
Active Years
1972-2013
Affiliations
Iwate University, Faculty of Education, Waseda University, Faculty of Letters / Graduate School of Letters

Education

Waseda University
Faculty of Letters, First Department / Department of Japanese Literature
Period: 1964-1968
Year of Graduation: 1968
Country: Japan
Undergraduate graduation
Waseda University Graduate School
Graduate School of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Degree: 修士（文学）
Period: 1968-1971
Year of Graduation: 1971
Country: Japan
Completed master's program
Waseda University
Graduate School of Letters / Japanese Literature
Degree: 博士（文学）
Period: 1998 (学位取得)
Year of Graduation: 1998
Country: Japan
Earned Ph.D. (Literature) for "The Formation and Development of Heiji Monogatari"

Awards

The Society for Japanese Classical Literature Prize
1977
Organization: The Society for Japanese Classical Literature
Result: 受賞
Kubota Utsubo Prize
1977
Organization: Kubota Utsubo Prize
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Formation and Development of Heiji Monogatari

1997 Scholarly research

A detailed scholarly study analyzing the formation and development of Heiji Monogatari.

Heiji Monogatarigunki literaturetextual development

Heiji Monogatari

1999 Introduction / Seminar book

An introductory yet scholarly seminar book on Heiji Monogatari published in the Iwanami Seminar series.

Heiji Monogataricommentarymedieval literature

The Birth of The Tale of the Heike

2001 Scholarly research

A scholarly examination of the background and early development of The Tale of the Heike.

The Tale of the Heikeoriginsgunki literature

World of War Tales: Reading Medieval Gunki Literature

2008 Introductory study

An accessible guide to medieval gunki tales aimed at general readers.

gunki talesmedieval historynarration

The World of Tohazugatari: Love at the End for a Medieval Nun

2012 Scholarly research

A study centered on Tohazugatari discussing emotional expression and religious backgrounds of medieval women.

Tohazugatarimedieval womenreligion

The World Literature of "The Tale of the Heike"

2017 Essay / Criticism

An essay collection positioning The Tale of the Heike within world literature.

comparative literatureThe Tale of the Heikeworld literature

Explorations in Medieval Japanese Literature

2019 Collected essays

A collected volume summarizing findings in medieval Japanese literature studies.

medieval literaturetextual studiesnarrative theory

Bibliography

  • The Formation and Development of Heiji Monogatari
  • Heiji Monogatari
  • The Birth of The Tale of the Heike
  • Re-reading The Tale of the Heike: What Was Meant to Be Passed On
  • World of War Tales: Reading Medieval Gunki Literature
  • The World of Tohazugatari: Love at the End for a Medieval Nun
  • The World Literature of "The Tale of the Heike"
  • Explorations in Medieval Japanese Literature

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Scholarly, annotation- and source-basedClear explanatory prose
Recurring Motifs
structural analysis of gunki talesexamination of textual formationrelationship between narrative and historical fact in the medieval period

Legacy

A leading scholar of medieval gunki tales and The Tale of the Heike / Heiji Monogatari, he contributed both academic scholarship and accessible introductions, taught for many years at Waseda University, and mentored numerous researchers.

Academic Societies

  • The Society for Japanese Classical Literature

Archives

  • Waseda University Library & Research Archives

Trivia

  • Born in Sado, Niigata Prefecture.
  • Professor emeritus of Waseda University; retired in 2013 (selected retirement).
  • Specialist in medieval gunki (war tale) literature.