The process of the transformation of Japanese society into a more medieval state can be observed by looking at various pieces of Japanese literature, such as poetry and prose, written in the period in which this change occurs they are said to have started to happen, particularly in the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura (1185-1333) periods. Things like war tales, Gunki monogatari, emerged reflecting the tumultuous state of Japan in these times, with the Heike monogatari being one of the most famous pieces; further development of zuihitsu also occurred. This shift to a more medieval state can also be witnessed more clearly by comparing how and why the songs were written during Japan's Heian period versus how and why they were written during the Kamakura period that followed soon after. This can be seen specifically by examining the composition practices of such things as imperial anthologies, or chokusenshu, during the Heian and Kamakura periods, which often reflect the social and political realignments that were occurring at the time. Robert N. Huey states two specific things that indicate an ongoing process of medievalization: (1) Cracks in the homogeneous edifice of waka; that is, evidence that differences between poetic groups are so strong that people are willing to “go public” with their disagreements. In other words, waka shifts from social expression, which people in a hierarchical environment are likely to agree on, to art, which people in a more factionalized medieval environment are likely to disagree about . (2) Simultaneously, a movement towards privatization and exclusivity. . Not only are there poetic schools, but these schools become such discrete entities that normal social ties (i.e., carried out by the emperor...... middle of paper ......re in his Tsurezuregusa. The process of medievalization , as we can see, it was gradual in Japan. In many cases, it can be said that Japan evolved into a medieval state and it did not happen suddenly, in any case, it was a period that produced many interesting elements. poetry and prose that helped gather further information about the ancient times of Japanese history. Works Cited Huey, Robert N. "The Medievalization of Poetic Process." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 50.2 (1990): 651-68. e. Bruce T. Tsuchida. The Tale of the Heike. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press, 1975. Yoshida, Kenko and Donald Keene Essays in Idleness: the Tsurezuregusa by Kenko New York: Columbia Press, 1998. Keene, Donald of Japanese Literature , early to mid-nineteenth century New York: Grove, 1955.