New in paperback. Hardcover was published in 2007. This volume includes works dating from the very beginnings of the Japanese written language through the evolution of Japan's noted aristocratic court and warrior cultures. This is a companion volume to Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900, and part of Columbia University Press's four-volume history of Japanese literature. Arranged by chronology and genre, the readings are preceded by introductions that explain the works' political, cultural, and literary contexts. The extensive bibliographies further enhance the volume's value for scholars and readers interested in Japanese culture.