Ritual, aesthetics and handwriting: Collaborative poetry in contemporary japan (A01)

• Subject Area: Asian Studies
• Term: from 2011 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 181924784

In Japan, Linked Poetry (renga) is a traditional form of collaborative poetry in which a poem is composed by several poets in a ritual setting as a manuscript is being produced. This practice almost vanished during the modernisation of Japan. In the 1980s, however, the genre experienced a revival across the whole country. The main aim of project A01 is to examine this phenomenon and its practices, especially the role that the written artefact played in the process. The coexistence of traditional handwriting and modern media appears to be particularly promising in this respect. By investigating this topic, the project will also help us understand why handwriting still persists in modern societies today.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 950: Collaborative Research Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Jörg B. Quenzer