Japanese Literature MCQs for UGC NET English
1. Which of the following is considered the world's first novel?
Answer: C. The Tale of Genji
Written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, The Tale of Genji is widely recognized as the world's first psychological novel, predating European novels by several centuries.
2. The concept of "mono no aware" refers to:
Answer: B. The pathos of things
"Mono no aware" (物の哀れ) literally means "the pathos of things" and refers to a sensitivity to the ephemeral nature of beauty, a central aesthetic in classical Japanese literature.
3. Who wrote "The Pillow Book"?
Answer: B. Sei Shōnagon
Sei Shōnagon, a contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, wrote "The Pillow Book" (Makura no Sōshi), a collection of witty observations and anecdotes about Heian court life.
4. Which Japanese author won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968?
Answer: C. Yasunari Kawabata
Kawabata was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1968 for his novels "Snow Country", "Thousand Cranes", and "The Old Capital", which exemplify Japanese aesthetic sensibility.
5. The haiku master Matsuo Bashō is associated with which concept?
Answer: B. Sabi
Bashō developed the concept of "sabi" (寂), meaning lonely beauty or quiet simplicity, which became central to haiku aesthetics.
6. Which work chronicles the Genpei War between the Taira and Minamoto clans?
Answer: B. The Tale of the Heike
"The Tale of the Heike" is a medieval war epic that recounts the rise and fall of the Taira (Heike) clan, embodying Buddhist themes of impermanence.
7. What is the traditional syllable structure of a haiku?
Answer: A. 5-7-5
A traditional haiku consists of three phrases with 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively, and typically includes a kigo (seasonal reference).
8. Which Japanese author wrote "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" based on an actual incident of a Buddhist acolyte burning down the famous temple?
Answer: B. Yukio Mishima
Mishima's 1956 novel explores beauty, obsession, and destruction through the story of a stuttering acolyte who burns down Kyoto's Golden Pavilion.
9. The term "ukiyo-zōshi" refers to:
Answer: B. Tales of the floating world
Ukiyo-zōshi were popular prose works of the Edo period depicting the "floating world" of pleasure quarters and urban life, pioneered by Ihara Saikaku.
10. Which of these works is an example of "zuihitsu" literature?
Answer: B. Essays in Idleness
"Essays in Idleness" (Tsurezuregusa) by Yoshida Kenkō is a classic example of zuihitsu - a genre of "follow-the-brush" informal essays.
11. Who is considered Japan's first modern psychological novelist?
Answer: B. Natsume Sōseki
Natsume Sōseki (1867-1916) pioneered psychological fiction in Japan with works like "Kokoro" and "I Am a Cat", exploring modern alienation.
12. The Japanese aesthetic principle that finds beauty in imperfection and impermanence is called:
Answer: B. Wabi-sabi
Wabi-sabi is the worldview centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection, deeply influencing Japanese arts and literature.
13. Which Japanese playwright is known for domestic tragedies about the conflict between giri (duty) and ninjō (human feelings)?
Answer: B. Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Chikamatsu (1653-1725), Japan's greatest playwright, wrote sewamono (domestic dramas) like "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" exploring this conflict.
14. Which of these works by Kenzaburō Ōe deals with the author's relationship with his disabled son?
Answer: B. A Personal Matter
"A Personal Matter" (1964) is Ōe's semi-autobiographical novel about a father coming to terms with his brain-damaged son, reflecting the author's own experience.
15. The concept of "yūgen" in Noh theater refers to:
Answer: B. Mysterious profundity
Developed by Zeami, yūgen suggests profound grace and subtle beauty that cannot be easily articulated, a hallmark of Noh aesthetics.
16. Which Japanese author wrote "Snow Country", a novel that begins with the famous line "The train came out of the long tunnel into the snow country"?
Answer: B. Yasunari Kawabata
"Snow Country" (Yukiguni, 1935-1948) is Kawabata's masterpiece about a Tokyo dilettante's relationship with a rural geisha.
17. What is the traditional syllable pattern of a tanka poem?
Answer: B. 5-7-5-7-7
Tanka, the dominant poetic form of classical Japanese literature, follows a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure across five lines.
18. Which of these modern Japanese authors blends magical realism with references to Western pop culture?
Answer: B. Haruki Murakami
Murakami's works like "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" and "Kafka on the Shore" mix surreal elements with jazz, classical music, and Western literature references.
19. "In Praise of Shadows" by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki is:
Answer: B. An essay on Japanese aesthetics
This 1933 essay contrasts Western and Eastern aesthetics, celebrating the Japanese appreciation for subtlety, patina, and indirect lighting.
20. Which work is associated with the Heian period's courtly elegance (miyabi)?
Answer: C. The Tale of Genji
"The Tale of Genji" epitomizes miyabi - the refined, elegant sensibility of Heian aristocracy, with its focus on poetry, romance, and aesthetic cultivation.
21. What was Yukio Mishima's controversial political stance?
Answer: B. Ultra-nationalist
Mishima formed a private militia and committed ritual suicide after a failed attempt to inspire the Japanese military to restore imperial power.
22. Which Japanese literary form features highly stylized performances with masks?
Answer: C. Noh
Noh theater, developed by Kan'ami and Zeami, uses slow, ritualized movements, chanted dialogue, and carved masks to represent characters.
23. "The Makioka Sisters" by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki depicts:
Answer: B. The decline of an aristocratic family
This 1940s novel chronicles the fading fortunes of the Makioka family in Osaka as they try to maintain traditions in modernizing Japan.
24. Which concept refers to the Japanese appreciation of negative space in art and literature?
Answer: A. Ma
Ma (間) refers to the intentional use of empty space or pauses, crucial in haiku, Noh theater, and Japanese visual arts.
25. Which Japanese author wrote "Norwegian Wood", a nostalgic novel about student life in 1960s Tokyo?
Answer: C. Haruki Murakami
"Norwegian Wood" (1987) became Murakami's breakthrough success, named after the Beatles song and exploring themes of love, loss, and memory.
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