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(★)(These twenty-two tales open to Western readers the world of fantasy in the legendary literature of Japan --a world of ogres, monkeys, goblins, and priests, of spell-casting and rescuing people. Rich in variety, ´Legends of Japan´ includes tales of the supernatural, magic, and deities, as well as tales of romance and intrigue. The vividness and esthetic appeal of these stories is enhanced by twenty-two woodblock prints from the studio of a modern Japanese illustrator, Masahiko Nishino. The tales are drawn from two Japanese masterpieces of the Heian [794-1185] and Kamakura [1192-1333] periods. The earlier and main source is the 31-volume ´Konjaku Monogatari´, a collection of tales of Japanese, Chinese, and Indian origin. The other source is the miscellany ´Tsurezure Gusa,´ by Kenko Yoshida, a monk of noble birth who was well versed in Japanese and Chinese literature. A reader´s delight, this little book distills the color and charm, the wisdom and humor of two great treasuries of classical Asian literature. Folklorist Hiroshi Naito was born in Kyoto in 1925. He graduated from Kyoto Junior College of Foreign Languages in 1955 and received a B.A. in Humanities from Ritsumeikan University in 1969. Presently manager of the Kyoto Municipal Education Board´s Language Laboratory, he is able to find time outside academic research to pursue his keen interest in things Japanese, especially folklore. Since 1953 he has been writing for the Mainichi Daily News about Japanese folklore, history, and literature. The legends in this book were originally published as a series in that newspaper. He is co-author with Harold S. Williams of ´The Kamakura Murders of 1864,´ which was published recently. Table of Contents ◆The fishermen´s battle ◆Wrestling a serpent ◆The lost chance ◆The reed-mower and the lady ◆The iron hat ◆The demon´s spittle ◆A piece of straw ◆The hunter´s trick ◆No melon to spare ◆A water sprite ◆The ogre´s horses ◆The dragon king´s palace ◆The bishop´s kick ◆The long-nosed goblins ◆Bewitched by a boar ◆A cat-hater ◆The flying water jars ◆Grave of the chopstick ◆The bell thieves ◆The monkey´s gratitude ◆The lost dinner ◆Reunion with death) |
BASE de DATOS, Biblioteca del Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Japon
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