Table of Contents

PREFACE

MAJOR ERAS OF JAPANESE HISTORY

I. "FLOATING PHRASES AND FICTIVE UTTERANCES":
THE RISE AND FALL OF SYMBOLS

2. IN AND OUT THE ROKUDO: KYOKAI AND THE FORMATION
OF MEDIEVAL JAPAN

3. INNS AND HERMITAGES: THE STRUCTURE OF
IMPERMANENCE

4. SYMBOL AND YUGEN: SHUNZEI'S USE OF TENDAI
BUDDHISM

5. CHOMEI AS HERMIT: VIMALAKIRTI IN THE "HOJO-KI"

6. ZEAMI'S BUDDHISM: COSMOLOGY AND DIALECTIC IN
NO DRAMA

7. SOCIETY UPSIDE-DOWN: KYOGEN AS SATIRE AND AS
RITUAL

8. THE POET AS SEER: BASHO LOOKS BACK

NOTES
JAPANESE NAMES AND TERMS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

About the Author

William R. LaFleur is the E. Dale Saunders Professor in Japanese Studies, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania