Ancient Tales And Folk Lore Of Japan

Traveller and naturalist Richard Gordon Smith journeyed in Japan, where he recorded ancient Japanese myths and legends in his 'voluminous illustrated diaries'. The result is a fascinating collection of Japanese historical legends and folktales. Nearly all of them are set in a well-defined time and place, instead of 'once upon a time.' Their themes include ghosts; unrequited love across social boundaries; Shinto landscape, tree and ocean spirits; and tales driven by Bushido and Buddhist ethics. Gordon Smith's style is to re-tell the stories very literally, even when they include supernatural elements. The result is an anthology of Japanese 'magical realist' tales.

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Ancient Tales in Modern Japan makes available for the first time in English a unique collection of Japanese folk tales. More than half of these tales have never before been translated. Fanny Hagin Mayer, a pioneer Western scholar in the field of Japanese folklore, has selected 347 folk tales from the standard Japanese reference work, the Meii. Ninety early collectors from throughout Japan, among them key figures such as Sasaki Kizen and Iwakura Ichiro, furnished tales for this selection. This remarkable anthology presents a vivid picture of centuries of Japanese folk culture. Ancient Tales in Modern Japan is an essential work for students of folklore and Japanese culture.

This is a collection of 57 historical legends and folktales from Japan. Nearly all of them are set in a well-defined time and place, instead of 'once upon a time.' Themes include ghosts; unrequited love across social boundaries; Shinto landscape, tree and ocean spirits; and tales driven by Bushido and Buddhist ethics. Chapters include: The Golden Hairpin; The Spirit Of The Willow Tree; Ghost Of The Violet Well; How Yogodayu Won A Battle, and many more.

Ancient Tales and Folk-Lore of Japan