Spring Snow - References To Other Works

References To Other Works

• The screen in Kiyoaki's bedroom has poems by Han Shan (ch. 5)
• The kabuki plays that the five watch at the Imperial Theatre, near Hibiya Park in Tokyo, are Lion Dance (about two rival generals of the Kamakura period) and The Rise and Fall of the Taira (ch. 8)
• Iinuma's favourite books in the library include the works of Han Fei, the Testament of Seiken of Asami Keisai (1652-1711), The Eighteen Histories, and Commentaries on the Four Classics; also, a poem by Kayo Honen called Song of a Noble Heart (ch. 14)
• The Marquise talks about how she played The Green of the Pines on the piano while accompanied by a koto and shamisen (ch. 18)
• While very young, Kiyoaki and Satoko copied verses from the "Okura One Hundred Poets" (Japanese Ogura Hyakunin Isshu) card-game into an album: the poems by Minamoto no Shigeyuki and Onakatomi no Yoshinobu (ch. 24)
• Chao P tells a story from the Jataka (ch. 33)
• Honda listens to the Abbess talk about The Thirty Verses and The Providence of the Greater Vehicle by Asanga (ch. 54)
• Another son of a marquis, called the Monster because of his facial and physical defects, is shown as frequently carrying a book by Giacomo Leopardi (ch. 48)
• The dream and reincarnation themes of Hamamatsu Chūnagon Monogatari inspired Spring Snow, and a former teacher of Mishima's had recently released an edition of Hamamatsu as Mishima began work on Spring Snow.
• Honda reads Ikki Kita's The Theory of Japan's National Polity and Pure Socialism (国体論及び純正社会主義 Kokutairon oyobi Junsei Shakaishugi) but cannot relate to the author's strong feelings.