Budo in Classical Japanese Texts

[Alex Miller]

I'm wondering if anyone has read any budo-related/derived texts in Japanese? I'm hoping to improve my classical Japanese standard (as I'm studying J. at university) and I figure it would be slightly more interesting to do it through texts with a bit of action and vim!

I've not read the Heike Mongatari yet - would that be a good place to start? Do please suggest any texts that you might particlarly have enjoyed (even those translated into English)!

Yours sincerely,

Alex

[Joseph Svinth]

If you're looking for excitement, you might try the Musashi novels in Japanese. For older stuff, consider Book of Five Rings with the various translations next to it so you can see word for word what the problems were. Also check the bibliography to Donald Richie's "Warrior Kumagai."

Or, if you're into the more modern era, try the sports and society pages of the pre-WWII Japanese-language newspapers available on microfilm. There is all kinds of stuff that *has* to be there, for if it made "Japan Times," surely it made some Japanese-language paper, too.

[Alex Miller]

Joseph - Thank you for the ideas - I'll certainly follow them up! It's a little bit daunting,as it's enough of a challenge keeping up with modern Japanese, but as with all these things, I shall have to apply myself!

Thanks again...

Yours sincerely,

Alex