説せつ話わ文ぶん学がく

noun

legendary literature; narrative literature

Academic term for a genre of Japanese literature consisting of collections of short tales, anecdotes, and legends, often with Buddhist or moral themes. Key works include 今昔物語集 and 宇治拾遺物語.

• 説せつ話わ文ぶん学がくの代だい表ひょう作さくとして『今こん昔じゃく物もの語がたり集しゅう』がよく挙あげられる。

  The Konjaku Monogatarishū is often cited as a representative work of legendary literature.