About NIJL Arts Initiative

Do you know the term ‘classic literature’? Classic literature refers to books written long ago.

Classic Japanese literature includes books written by hand by Japanese people and printed using techniques such as wood block technology from over 1,000 years before the Meiji Period (1869-1912). There are many names for classic Japanese literature such as wahon, wakosho and wasohon. To put it simply, these are actual books created, spread and read by people first hand which were passed down to future generations before Western civilization spread across Japan. In the era when there were no video or audio, books were the only way to directly record things such as one’s own experiences, ideas or feelings, exchange this with others and pass it down to future generations. Books can be called a collection of time that engraves identity. From the perspective of our generation, these works make up what we call ‘classic literature’.

For half a century, The National Institute of Japanese Literature (Inter-University Research Institute Corporation (NIJL)) has been searching for and investigating from within Japan to overseas, a wide range of classic literature which is an asset of Japanese lifestyle, spirit and culture. Its mission has been to scan each page of every piece of literature and publish them. Currently, NIJL is carrying out a lot of collaborative research and diffusion projects using an abundance of classic literature. Although it is not commonly known, it is a collaborative research institution that has collected literature from all over the country that is made publicized to all those who want to learn on an unprecedented level.

NIJL, which has steadily collected an enormous amount of literary works over a half century, has investigated classic literature in over 430,000 titles in around 70 locations overseas and over 1,000 locations in Japan including libraries and private residences. Approximately 280,000 titles have been recorded as images. Converting this into number of books, the collection of images exceeds 1 million books. In addition to these images, there are around 22,000 actual classic literary titles including important cultural properties.

The NIJL is trying to create a new resource.

Not limited to literature, we are creating an image database from 300,000 classic literary titles focusing on all genres such as natural science, Japanese mathematics, art and religion. Each piece is scanned in its entirety and the images are tagged so they can be searched using multiple methods in the Database of Pre-modern Japanese Books (http://www.nijl.ac.jp/pages/cijproject/ displayed on a trial basis, scheduled to be completed in 2023). It is a treasure trove of information of classic literature which is packed with the sensitivity and knowledge of classic literature before the Meiji Period (1868) exceeding that of the modern person. We are creating and expanding an international research network with Japanese researchers all over the world based on this image database.

In coordination with this resource,
the NIJL Arts Initiative was launched.

The NIJL Arts Initiative has been entrusted with the Priority in the Promotion of Arts, Culture and Creative Activities of the Agency for Cultural Affairs aiming to share the accumulated classic literature and network of experts in NIJL outside the research community. We hope sharing these resources will enable the creation of new things and culture in our generation.

Three driving forces behind the Initiative

1. The first driving force is co-creation with artists, Artists in Residence (AIR)

This program involves a number of professional artists being invited to NIJL for a certain period of time to conduct creative activities. The project aims to discover a new world of art from the sense and knowledge obtained through delving into and exploring the forest of classic literature along with creators involved in representational art such as novels, animation, theater arts, industrial design, songwriting and so on. Modern art has characteristics that emphasize the importance on the creation process more than the completed work. Therefore, as it is not limited to accomplishment, the finished products are recorded and shared through workshops, video sharing and other means. By experiencing the unknown knowledge of classic literature allows artists to experience a different “Nippon” (Japan) being shared like it is alive today in order to increase the range of images and stories and make innovations. We would like to take on the role of navigating creation based on the idea of “Turning tradition into innovation” which has been advocated for a long time in every field.

2. The second driving force is the Translator in Residence

In the same manner, this program involves translation of Japanese literature into a foreign language over a set period of time through inviting expert translators, excavating literature resources and translating this into other languages. Not to mention, translation requires a deepened understanding of culture and the region. However, when looking at translation of Japanese literature written before the Meiji Period (1869), most works were selected to be translated after WWII and have been translated from those contained in the existing series Collections of Japanese Literature which includes annotations and modern translations. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the plethora of classic literature. This selection is not necessarily what readers overseas are currently requiring. Translators explore classic literature with researchers, and select works to be translated after looking at many works including untransliterated and unrevised texts. Further deepening of Japanese culture provides support for translators who can share classic literature overseas. This project involves focusing a spotlight on works which Japanese people have not focused on over hundreds of years and making knowledge of Japanese classic literature available to foreign readers straight from the source.

Creators (AIR) and translators (TIR) are delved and experience an abundance of classic literature, not limited to the information that has already been maintained, enabling them to discover testimony from characters and illustrations of life distributed all over Japan in order to connect the present with future culture creation.

3. The third driving force and central figure behind the scenes is the classics interpreter

Classic literature is written in an ancient style with many characters represented in running form that cannot be understood by modern people. Artists and translators delve into the world of classic literature crossing paths every year. A guide who can skillfully navigate this world is necessary to return home safely. Classics interpreters select works to interpret, accessing and organizing research information and providing support in the creation process. Various different skills are necessary for efforts to produce and to send out the results outside of NIJL. Therefore, we developed and introduced navigators of classic literature knowledge. There are programs for training science and technology interpreters at Japanese universities but the same framework has not been solidified in the field of literature studies. At NIJL, young researchers with academic ability and experience in literary studies are appointed with the responsibility of becoming assistant teachers and give out lessons at places such as governing bodies and private institutions. Interpreters utilize job skills learned during their term for a long time in their careers and provide support in presenting new ways for Japanese literary researchers to participate in the academic world.

Creators (AIR) and translators (TIR) delve into and experience an abundance of classic literature enabling them to discover testimony from characters and illustrations of life distributed all over Japan in the past in order to connect with future culture creation. The NIJL Arts Initiative is a project for creating a new base from the words, gestures and landscape records written over 100s of years.
We are looking forward to heading in this direction with everyone.

Robert Campbell
Director of National Inst. of Japanese Literature
October 2017