La letteratura classica giapponese come patrimonio culturale immateriale? Analisi dello heritage discourse nelle prefazioni di Kaifūsō e Kokinshū

In this essay, I will provide a concise overview of recent definitions of cultural heritage, particularly those developed within the realm of critical heritage studies, while highlighting potential points of convergence with literary discourse. Subsequently, by means of a textual analysis of two significant works from premodern Japan, namely the prefaces to the poetic collections "Kaifūsō" and "Kokinshū," I will endeavor to identify a heretofore unrecognized "heritage discourse." This refers to formulations and strategies for the appropriation of textual heritage from the past by the Japanese cultural elite of the examined periods. Reinterpreted in this manner, the history of Japanese literature can contribute to the endeavor of composing a "history of heritage," which essentially encapsulates the "history of power relations that have been formed and operate via the deployment of the heritage process" (Harvey 2008, p. 19). This, in turn, has the potential to provide us with insights into the generation and preservation of culture across diverse societies worldwide.