Thousand Cranes

Thousand Cranes
Yasunari Kawabata
Author information
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Born in Osaka, Japan in 1899.
Lost whole family by age 16.
First published at age 26 (Diary
of a Sixteen Year-Old)
Wrote over 100 short stories, or
tanagokoro no shoetsu (palmof-the-hand stories)
Thousand Cranes published in
1949 in Japan and in 1958 in
America
Won Nobel Prize in Literature
in 1968
Died in 1972
Themes in his works
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Sense of loneliness
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Thoughts of death
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Focus on human relationships
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Examination of nature
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Thoughts on change and loss
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Lonely and alienated
individuals seeking comfort in
unlikely relationships
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Clashing cultures
Motifs in the novel
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Thousand Cranes scarf
Flower arrangements and vases
Fireflies
Tea ceremony
Tea bowls
Colors
Flowers
(a motif is a repeated image)
Nature in the novel
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Nature is beautiful and
harmonious, with order
and rules—and a
seemingly ethical or moral
dimension.
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The symbolic beauty of
nature is the predominant
subject of Japanese art and
literature.
Continued . . .
Humankind exists within the order of
nature.
 Japanese people wish to be at one with
nature.
 This oneness is accomplished through
works of beauty
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Flower meanings
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Morning glory
– mortality
– shortness of life
– beauty, a joy to be remembered
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Chrysanthemum
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flower of autumn
symbol of longevity
optimism, strength, courage
coat of arms of Japan
More flowers . . .
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Peony
– Flower of 20 days
– Prosperity, happiness
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Cherry blossom
– National flower of Japan
– Loyalty and filial love
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Japanese Irises
– Heroism, flower of boys, heraldry and royalty
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White Roses
– Innocence, silence, devotion
More Flowers …
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Carnations
– Fascination, distinction, love
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Oleander
– Hope and peace
– Flower of Hiroshima
More flowers . . .
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Iris
– Strength, vitality, boldness
– Power, eloquence, heroism
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Azalea
– Family devotion
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Pomegranate
– Fertility
– Progeny
Fireflies
Symbol of light and inspiration
 Symbol of the soul and ghosts of the dead,
especially warriors
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A little about the book
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Thousand Cranes is an examination
of human relationships—a young
man named Kikuji becomes
involved with two mistresses of his
dead father—and with the daughter
of one of them.
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The Japanese ritual of the tea
ceremony is woven throughout the
text.
Structure of novel
Spans only a few weeks in the life of Kikuji
 Episodic--focuses on very specific moments
with incredible detail
 Uses intense, vivid description
 Uses terse and concise language--every
description holds value
 Each sentence, a moment
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Pronunciation Key
Kuri|moto
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chestnut
root/
tree
origin
Ota
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big rice field
Chika|ko
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close
child
Mi|kato
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beauty
Kikuji
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-Chrysanthemum
-Symbol of
Japan
-Symbol of
beauty
-Ground/surface
Fumi|ko
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fragrance child
Yuki|ko
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snow child
Characters
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Kikuji Mitani
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– Long term affair with
Kikuji’s father
– Young business man
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Chikako Kurimoto
– Tea mistress,
– Matchmaker,
– Brief affair with
Kikuji’s father
Mrs. Ota
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Fumiko Ota
– Daugter of Mrs. Ota
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Yukiko Inamura
– Thousand Cranes girl
Engakuji Temple
“Even when he reached
Kamakura and the
Engakuji Temple,
Kikuji did not know
whether or not he
would go to the tea
ceremony.”