noun
Japanese classics; classical Japanese texts
Refers to classical Japanese literature, especially works from the Heian period and earlier, often studied in the context of kokugaku (national learning).
彼は大学で皇典を専攻している。
He is majoring in Japanese classics at university.
皇典の研究には古語の知識が欠かせない。
Knowledge of archaic Japanese is essential for the study of classical Japanese texts.
Compound of 皇 (imperial, Japan) and 典 (code, rule, book). The term likely originated in the Edo period among kokugaku scholars to refer to classical Japanese texts as a national canon.