Kanbun no kundoku

From: Prophet of the Way (afu_at_wta.att.ne.jp)
Date: 03/28/05 

Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 04:15:39 +0900

This article is for advanced students of the Japanese language and students of
both Chinese and Japanese.

The Japanese have been reading Chinese texts since the earliest days of recorded
history. Some Japanese literature has been written in Chinese. The Seventeen
Article Constitution by Prince Shoutoku and The Nihon Shoki are two examples.
Over the centuries the Japanese have refined a method of reading Chinese text
which employs unique word-order marks and kana pronunciation assistance. This
is called Kundoku.

Expressions often heard when reading Chinese classics include: "gotoshi"
"shikazu" "masani ... sen-to su".

Kundoku, the traditional Japanese method of reading Chinese classics:
http://www.issho.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1367
(sample text, three formats, image files with English notes)

If you want to learn this, you should first try figuring out things
'Champollion and the Rosetta Stone' style with the example in the above. Then
try contacting a Japanese friend and getting some texts. A lot get discarded
around this time of the year.

The following is an introductory course, from a Japanese high school:
http://www.e-t.ed.jp/edotori40092/ka1.htm (J text)

Interactive kanbun education:
http://i-kanbun.jp/ (top page, J text)
http://contest2002.thinkquest.jp/tqj2002/50225/kamisibai/mujun/mujunC1.html
http://contest2002.thinkquest.jp/tqj2002/50225/kamisibai/gyofu/gyofuC1.html
(Try one of the bottom two.)

If you ever need to input this kind of text in digital format:
http://imt.chem.kit.ac.jp/fujita/fujitas/kanbun/kanbunex.html
http://www.cwo.zaq.ne.jp/haruki_satoyosi/latex/latex.html
(Both sites in Japanese)

Stone monuments around Hiroshima
http://www.geocities.jp/kanshi44/kanshi/sanyo.htm (J text)
Poems from the early 19th century.

Douso, The Prophet of the Way