Hōjōki: Visions of a Torn World

Allusion is a rhetorical device in which the author draws upon external works, events, or ideas and uses those references to add meaning and depth. An author’s use of allusions presupposes a shared cultural and historical context with readers, who are meant to understand the author’s references without further research or a detailed description.

The most straightforward allusions in “Hōjōki” are historical, which provide context for why Chōmei became a recluse. The first half of “Hōjōki” recounts a multitude of well-documented disasters, all of which occurred in or around Kyoto during Chōmei’s early life. Chōmei uses vivid language to describe these events, but he does not always provide the exact details. When Chōmei refers to the moving of the capital, he expects that his readers already know he is describing the move from Kyoto to Fukuhara at the beginning of the Genpei War. This speaks to Chōmei’s assumptions about his readers: primarily that they are at least passingly familiar with the events he is referencing and the larger societal context of that time.

Chōmei’s allusions to Buddhism function similarly. In Japan, Buddhist and Shinto practices have been common parts of everyday life for millennia.