Acceptance of War Tanka and Japanese History Awareness

Abstract

This study discusses the pattern in which war memories by Tanka poem relate to the public's history awareness. As a result of comparing of Showa Manyoshu with the exhibition contents of Yushkan and ShowaKan, it is found out that the composition of the editing is divided like a gallery in the memorial, and each Tanka was arranged by case to produce historical narratives. Tanka is directly used as an exhibition historical material for the memorial. Yushkan analyzes that Waka representing ‘Yamatogokoro’ and the Tanka of the fallen soldiers were exhibited to induce empathy of visitors. Meanwhile, Chiran Peace Museum gives meaning to the Last Tanka of the tokkō pilots as a message of peace for Japan's future. It says that Tanka is accepted in the logic of these memorial and produces history awareness associated with emotions.