Death's Emotional Landscape: Emotions Surrounding Death in the Man'yôshû

The expression of emotions is influenced by society and culture. Expressions that are considered appropriate in modern America are not necessarily the same for other cultures and times. Laments in books two and three of the Man’yōshū 万葉集 (“Collection of a Ten Thousand Leaves”) reveal the normative emotions to express upon death in early Japan. Analysis of these poems show that a handful of emotions were normative to express upon the death of an emperor or prince based on social and relational status to the deceased, whereas a broader range of emotions was acceptable to express upon death in general.