Japanese Myths, Legends & Folktales

February 25, 2019
Strong boys, luminous girls, social-climbing mice, and havoc-wreaking badgers are just a few of the characters that populate this collection of Japanese folktales. Originally published in 1953, this new bilingual edition presents the text in English and Japanese. Dreamy vintage illustrations punctuate text-filled pages, offering snapshots of details such as layered patterned garments and introducing motifs such as cherry blossoms and Mt. Fuji. The text is of its time: blunt, exposition-heavy, and sometimes archaic—“it grieves me sorely to find that here you too make fun of me.” Several tales are brutal—a woman cuts the tongue of a friendly bird; a man beats a dog to death—and one about men with facial wens is problematic, hinging on facial disfigurement as a punishment for social awkwardness. Whether the imagery inspires dreams or nightmares, there is much to feed readers’ imaginations. Ages 5–14.