Product Description

Burton Watson and Haruo Shirane, renowned translators and scholars, introduce English-speaking readers to the vivid tradition of early and medieval Japanese anecdotal ( setsuwa) literature. These orally narrated and written tales drew on both local folk tradition and continental sources. Taken from seven major anthologies of anecdotal literature compiled between the ninth and thirteenth centuries, these dramatic and often amusing stories open a major window onto the foundations of Japanese culture.

Out of thousands ofsetsuwa, Shirane has selected thirty-eight of the most powerful and influential, each of which is briefly introduced. Recounting the exploits of warriors, farmers, priests, and aristocrats, and concerning topics as varied as poetry, violence, power, and sex, these tales reveal the creative origins of a range of literary and dramatic genres, from court tales and travel accounts tono drama and Kabuki. Watson's impeccable translations relay the wit, mystery, and Buddhist sensibility of these protean works, while Shirane's sophisticated analysis illuminates the meaning and context of their compact stories. Capped by an extensive bibliography, this collection fully immerses the reader in the thrilling world of secular and religious tales.

Product Description
"The Japanese Fairy Book" was originally published in 1908 as "Japanese Fairy Taels." This edition contains all twenty-two of the original stories and all thirty-one of the original illustrations. *** The stories were translated from the modern versions recorded by Sadanami Sanjin. As Ms. Ozaki tells us in the Preface, "these stories are not literal translations, and though the Japanese story and all quaint Japanese expressions have been faithfully preserved, they have been told more with the view to interest young readers of the West than the technical student of folk-lore." *** Many of the stories in this volume are based on actual historical figures from Japanese history, while others are simple fanciful tales. *** As Yei also admits in the Preface, "I have followed my fancy in adding such touches of local color or description as they seemed to need or as pleased me, and in one or two instances I have gathered in an incident from another version." *** This collection was specifically intended for children, and consequently edited for that end, with the character and spirit of the original stories being carefully preserved. *** The stories in this book are: My Lord Bag of Rice; The Tongue-Cut Sparrow; The Story Of Urashima Taro, The Fisher Lad; The Farmer And The Badger; The "Shinansha," Or The South Pointing Carriage; The Adventures Of Kintaro, The Golden Boy; The Story Of Princess Hase; The Story Of The Man Who Did Not Wish To Die; The Bamboo-Cutter And The Moon-Child; The Mirror Of Matsuyama; The Goblin Of Adachigahara; The Sagacious Monkey And The Boar; The Happy Hunter And The Skillful Fisher; The Story Of The Old Man Who Made Withered Trees To Flower; The Jelly Fish And The Monkey; The Quarrel Of The Monkey And The Crab; The White Hare And The Crocodiles; The Story Of Prince Yamato Take; Momotaro, Or The Story Of The Son Of A Peach; The Ogre Of Rashomon; How An Old Man Lost His Wen; and The Stones Of Five Colors And The Empress Jokwa. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

really fun
I got this book to assist me in teaching my elementary school students about the cultural differences of fairy tales from around the world.These tales are kid-friendly but also make a nice read for a grown up.

Brilliant
The Japanese short-stories in this book were absolutely brilliant.

Each story has a moral to be learned. In each story, the decieving are punished in different ways. It also gives a magical perspective of everyday morals to the reader.

A charming collection of stories
A wonderful collection of short stories, easy to read. They have been translated with Westerners in mind, but still remain uniquely Japanese. There are beautiful black and white illustrations with each story. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Amaterasu, Kami, Tide Jewels, Wani, Japanese Dragon, Nihon Shoki, Zennyo Ryūō, Kokutai, Yamata No Orochi, Abe No Seimei, Shōjō, Kuraokami, Kojiki, Mizuchi, Shintoshu, Otogizōshi, Kotodama, Imperial Regalia of Japan, Shishi, Mount Penglai, Hagoromo, Hata No Kawakatsu, Yomi, Konjaku Monogatarishū, Hotsuma Tsutae, Minamoto No Hiromasa, My Lord Bag of Rice, Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, Amakuni, Tokoyo, Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, Takenouchi No Sukune, Sorei, Kuwabara Kuwabara, Sanzu River, Onogoro Island, Kuroshima, Ehime, Yata No Kagami, Takamagahara, Hare of Inaba, Mahoroba, Thirteen Buddhas, Hyakki Yakō, Sennin, List of Sacred Objects in Japanese Mythology, Amenonuhoko, Senji Ryakketsu, Hofus the Stonecutter, Yōsei, Ryūgū-Jō, Ashihara No Nakatsukuni, Amenominakanushi, Jinushigami, Tonbogiri, Ishi Kore Dome No Kami, Zuijin. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 211. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: In Japanese mythology, the tide jewels or kanju , lit. ebbing jewel") and manju , lit. "flowing jewel") were magical gems that the Sea God used to control the tides. Classical Japanese history texts record an ancient myth that the ocean kami Watatsumi "sea god" or Ryjin "dragon god" presented the kanju and manju to his demigod son-in-law Hoori, and a later legend that Empress Jing used the tide jewels to conquer Korea. Tide jewels interrelate Japanese dragons and wani sea-monsters, Indonesian mythology, the nyoi-ju "cintamani; wish-fulfilling jewel" in Japanese Buddhism, magic jewels of Nga kings in Hindu mythology, and the pearl associations of Chinese dragons in Chinese mythology. The Japanese compounds kanju lit. "ebb jewel" and manju lit. "flow jewel" combine kan (cf. ) "dry up; drain off; ebb (tides); recede; oppose" and man "fill; full; rise (tides); fulfill;...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=18685407 ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: A. C. McClurg & co. in 1917 in 340 pages; Subjects: Symbolism in art; Art, Japanese; Folklore; Symbolism; Mythology, Japanese; Art / History / General; Art / Asian; Art / Design / General; Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Country & Ethnic; Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General; Social Science / Folklore & Mythology; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

not useful
I live in Japan and I am here to tell you that these proverbs are rarer than an uncooked steak. 80% of the proverbs my Japanese friends have never heard of, and the rest they are not sure what the proverbs actual mean. My advice is master the easier Japanese first!

Another Opinion
I just finished going through this book, and I enjoyed it very much. Today I read the other reviews, and I can understand their opinions, but think another perspective should be added. I'm sure my Japanese is not nearly as good as the other reviewer, and I don't live in Japan. Still, here is my opinion.

Translations are difficult in any language. Working on some very simple translations I found them most challenging. For example, the word Kobunboku I translated as Plum Blossom. If you translate the Kanji singularly and literally it would be Nice Prefered Wood. But if you understand the symbolic compounds it reads "The famous tree of Chinese literature" the flower of peace, the plum blossom. Most Japanese people would not recognize this literary compound. In reality no translation is perfect. In the version of one of these proverbs I have: "Fallen blossoms don't return to the branch. . ." It includes: "There is no sense in crying over spilt milk."

As far as testing them on Japanese friends, and average Japanese people having not heard them. . .would this be less common with English idioms? The South has many idioms people in the North have never heard. "He's drunker than Cooter Brown" "Penny wise, Pound foolish" I never heard till I was 40.

I would add I don't think it is a good idea to try and use these proverbs to impress Japanese speakers. Contrivance is rarely respected.

I greatly appreciated the author including the Kanji, Romanji, Hiragana, and English, and I think the book is helpful and a lot of fun to read with some nice thoughts to reflect on their wisdom.

PS: The title "IS" Even Monkeys Fall From Trees :)

Not sure about this one...
I'd like to point out before I get into the meat of this review that I am not out to give the writer, sorry "compiler" a damn good ragging, but I am not at all sure this book is as good as you may have been led to believe by the reviewer before me. OK, first, the positive points. There are many well known proverbs in this book that will be useful to anyone who is interested and each proverb is illustrated by a cartoon. So far, so good.However, I have found that a couple of these proverbs are unknown to my Japanese collegues who doubt their authenticity. For example, one of the proverbs that I liked when I first saw it is "Ke bukai mono wa iro bukai". The translation being "A hairy thing is a sexy thing". Well, if you know anything about Japanese culture and attitudes and believe me, I do! I work and live in Japan and I speak Japanese and know a lot of Japanese people, then you will know that body hair is considered to be dirty and repulsive. So how can there be a proverb like that? It stands to reason! Another example of an "unknown" proverb is "He o hitte shiri tsubome" which is supposedly a Japanese version of "It's no use closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted". The Japanese version translates as "It's no use scrunching up you buttocks after you have farted". This is more or less how it is translated in the book. It is an appropriate image, however no one has heard of that either! It is a proverb I like to use from time tio time in English but when I tested out the Japanese equivalent amongst friends, they just thought I was being rude. In fact the word "he" is a coarse word to use in Japanese. "Onara" is more aceptable, well, about as acceptable as talking about farts can be!!! When I have to explain a Japanese proverb to a Japanese person, I can only conclude that the proverb is erroneous to start with. I don't think this is a reliable book. If you get it then check out which proverbs are authentic with a native speaker so you don't end up looking stupid or intentionally rude.

Domo arigato, David-san.
An uncle of mine passed away when I was only about ten. We were very close- even today, my mother and my aunts and uncles tell me how much I remind them of him. Two things immediately pop into mind when I remember my Uncle John- first, he was something of an oddball. And second, he had a passion for languages. Uncle John could speak just about any language you could name. He was particularly fond of Japanese, and I remember him reading to me from "Even Monkeys Fall From Trees." When he passed away, I inherited his copy, and it is to this day my most treasured possession.

What of the book, then? It is really quite simple- it is a collection of 100 Japanese sayings, written both in phonetic Japanese and with an English equivalent (Example- moshi wa moshiya- "for rice cakes, go to the rice cake maker"). Opposite each proverb is a full-page illustration, with the proverb written in Japanese calligraphy. A short preface by the author is included on the significance of the proverbs in Japanese culture, and a short appendix is also included which attempts to find an equivalent adage from our culture for each proverb.

This book is a rich source of inspiration, and I have continually found new meaning in the sayings contained within. The simplicity of its design affords a certain elegance, as it presents the proverbs in a manner which stimulates the reader to find his own wisdom in them. The illustrations are clever and appropriate, and yet do not force a specific interpretation.

This book would make a fine gift for anybody, especially a child, as it is the rare sort of book that one does not merely read, but rather grows with, like a close friend. Whether you're looking for an interesting way to learn some new Japanese, or merely searching for insight, BUY THIS BOOK. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very conscientious author
This work constitutes, by and large, the only complete and critical presentation of the sacred myths of the Shinto. In this book, Dr. Post Wheeler gives an accurate and complete translation of the two basic religious texts of the Japanese, the Kojiki and the Nihongi. This tremendous task was not only one of collection and translation - but of weaving all existing fragments together so that they could constitute a coherent Narrative, and as far as possible a chronological one. The Narrative is the whole story without adaptation or expurgation.
In plain and simple language, supplementary to the Narrative, Dr. Wheeler traces the projection into modern times of the claim of the "Heavenly Descent"; offers a condensed discussion of the various manuscripts that make up the Scriptures; an outline Argument of the complete myth-story whose various scenes alternate between the Sky, the Earth and the Under-World; a "Kami-list" of all Deities and Personages that figure in the story, with page references that link them to their proper episodes; and a detailed Analysis of the Narrative. 562pp. ... Read more

Product Description
A young man saves a crane (tsuru, in Japanese) from a gang of young boys who are threatening to stone it to death.The crane flies away.The next day, a beautiful woman appears in the village; her name is "Tsu."The young many falls hopelessly in love with her.They marry.But it is not until the end of the story, after his young wife displays her surprising skills at weaving, that he discovers her true identity. A Japanese folktale, retold.A tale of romance, greed, and mystery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An amazing collection of mythology
I suppose that some of the work in this book, one of a 13 volume set written between 1916 and 1932 (reprinted in the 1960s), has been changed by more recent scholarship, but there is still nothing to equal this fantastic achievement. The set includes not only the more familiar myths such as Greek and Roman, but pretty well succeeds in its goal to include all of humanity. The text is extremely detailed but very readable; none of the turgid prose so often associated with academia. The volumes contain numerous illustrations, both in the text and as plates (mostly black & white.)

One of the most useful parts of the set is the final volume, an extremely detailed index, which allows the reader to pursue a theme, or even a topic as specific as the significance of belts, across all the volumes.The individual volumes do not have their own indices, but the tables of contents are fairly detailed.The books appear to have been issued without dust jackets.

The 1964 reprint, and I suppose the older printing of this volume, has 61 text illustrations, 54 plate illustrations (3 in color), a map and an index of Chinese terms.

In the interest of fairness, I want to reveal that I am selling some volumes, but only because I got the extremely rare opportunity to buy a complete set, making these redundant

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Japanese Mythologyand Archaeology
I am Japanese Archaeologist living in London. I need a help from someone who give me a advice and guide line how to publish in US my book(or article)about relationship between japanese mythology and archaeology. It means how to get a proof of certain japanese mythology(mostly shinto related) through archaeological excavation hard evidence. Please contact me if you think that you can help me in this matter. Kazuomy e-mail isSarEngland7@aol.com ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Ugajinis a Japanese harvest god, a fertility kami of Japanese Mythology. He is a member of the Buddhist Pantheon. Ugajin is often depicted with the body of a snake and the head of a bearded man, for the masculine variant, or the head of a woman for the female variant. Ugajin often accompanies another deity: Benzaiten. Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon alone consists of an uncountable number of kami (Japanese for "gods" or "spirits"). This article will discuss only the typical elements present in Oriental mythology such as cosmogony, important deities and the best-known Japanese stories. ... Read more