Synopsis Ancient Japanese Literature: A critical Survey is a comprehensive work on the history of the Japanese literature since its inception. It covers the developments in ten chapters. The major trends, works and authors of each period are discussed with an overview of the developments and various other factors that contributed to it. It presents the woof and weft of ancient Japanese literature in a concise manner. The official compilations of Kojiki, Nihongi and the Imperial Waka Anthologies represent one aspect of it and the anthology of Manyoshu as well as the fictional works of Monogatari represent yet another aspect.