THE MAN YOSHU, KOJIKI, THE TALE OF GENJI, Noh drama, and the works of Saikaku, Chikamatsu, and Basho are unanimously considered classics of Japanese literature both by Japanese and international literary critics. However, this volume suggests that it was not until the late 19th century, as Japan was emerging internationally as an important political body, that these works were defined as such. The authors of this study consider how these works depict aspects of Japanese heritage, and why they were singled out as examples of a national literature.