Paper short abstract:

Based on the previous research focused on Chōgen in The Tale of the Heike, this paper will apply the major techniques and methods of narratology to the interpretation of the image of Chōgen and re-evaluation of the role he plays in the narrative.

Paper long abstract:

Many temples of Nara, including Tōdaiji and Kōfukuji, were turned into a sea of fire by the troops led by Taira no Shigehira in the twelfth month of the fourth year of the Jishō era (1180). The restoration of the heavily damaged Tōdaiji required tremendous effort and dedication. One of the major contributors to the restoration was the monk Chōgen (1121-1206).

Chōgen appears in The Tale of the Heike several times. Many versions of The Tale of the Heike share the chapters which mention Chōgen. For example, the chapter describing the memorial service of Taira no Shigehira who was executed in Nara or the chapter which describes the fate of Taira no Munezane, the son of Taira no Shigemori, after the fall of the Taira. The passage describing the role of Chōgen in the memorial service of Taira no Shigehira is of particular interest since it interprets and demonstrates the attitude of the creators of The Tale of the Heike to the sin committed by Taira no Shigehira. From this point of view, the way The Tale of the Heike narrates the episodes centered on Chōgen, namely the narrative structure and context, deserves a closer analysis and interpretation. In this case, the comparison of these episodes with the passages describing the interaction between Hōnen, another prominent religious figure who appears in The Tale of the Heike, and Shigehira could become one of the effective methods of analysis.

Based on the previous research focused on Chōgen in The Tale of the Heike, this paper will apply the major techniques and methods of narratology to the interpretation of the image of Chōgen and re-evaluation of the role he plays in the narrative.