Customer Reviews (1)

Good for academic reference - too big to travel.
Great reference book. I wanted to take soemthing with me on a trip to Japan tho - this is far too bulky and too much detail. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Tales of Olde from a Hidden Country
When this book was written, in 1913, Japan was still a country shrouded in mystery. Mathew Perry and his Black Ships had forced the treaty in 1858, an event that was still very much in living memory.Lafcadio Hearn had published his books on ghostly Japan only a few years earlier, and information was slowly pouring in to a hungry public.

F. Hadland Davis pulled from Hearn's works, from Basil Chamberlain's "Things Japanese," from various translations of the Kojiki and the Nihongi, and from all of the new research available to create a single volume detailing the "Myths and Legends of Japan."He did an amazing job, and this is really an astoundingly comprehensive volume, with creation myths, magical creatures, ghost stories, Buddhist lessons and everything else under heaven. Davis has categorized the stories in an interesting and romantic way, such as "Concerning Tea" and "Dolls and Butterflies."All 31 categories have about four or five stories apiece, giving you an idea of how many gems are in the book.

The writing style of the book is very old fashioned, and people unaccustomed to a more scholarly style might find it a bit thick.Hadland often sumarizes the tales, rather than giving them a storytelling flair.The focus of the book is educational over entertaiment, introducing the myths and legends of an unknown country to his readers.Also included is a glossary and index, to help in the absorbtion of the many, many tales.

Writing aside, the biggest shame of this edition is the illustrations.While lovely, they have been reproduced in black and white instead of the original color plates.I know it keeps the costs down on a book almost 100 years old, but the original images must have been something to see!

I wish I had found this sooner!
This book is exactly what I had been looking for to quench my thirst for knowledge of Japanese mythology. Each of the 31 chapters covers a different subject and does so very well. My favorite chapters were: V. Fox Legends, IX. Legends of Mount Fuji, XXII. Animal Legends, XXIII. Bird and Insect Legends, XXVII. Legends of the Sea, XXVIII. Superstitions, and XXIX. Supernatural Beings. I highly recommend this to the mythology buff as well as the casual reader looking for something interesting to read.

Very enjoyable and informative.
Of course I am not an expert on "Myths and Legends of Japan", so I cannot judge the accuracy of the book, but nevertheless I do think that this is an absolutely fantastic read. First published in 1913, and thanks to one of my favourite publishing companies, Dover, made available again in 1992.

It's not just a collection of (translated) stories of myths and legends in Japan, the author also gives some background information and further explanations.

The range of topics covered is huge: from the Gods to heroes and warriors to foxes to legends in Japanese art to the sacred Mount Fuji to flowers and gardens, mirrors, insects, fans, thunder, superstitions, supernatural beings, Kintaro... to give you just a few examples!

I must admit that at first I found it difficult to get into this book, but after about 30 pages I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down. Some of the stories are very moving, some breath-taking, others just sweet...

Since common myths and legends of a people do say quite a bit about it, one can only be blown-away by just what a nation Japan must be!

More Academic Than Enjoyable
Instead of merely translating a number of common myths and legends, theauthors explain each story in a summary fashion, and always in thirdperson.I personally found this to be very distracting, not to mention alittle dry.If you are looking for a book which captures the spirit of theJapanese tales instead of merely recounting their basic plot lines, this isnot the book for you.

Myths and Legends of Japan Review
I found this book to be a well of information. I loved this book tremendously. I originally used it for a project on myths and legends in japan but as I discovered more about this topic (which this book had helped to release) I became more and more fascinated with the subject. This bookrevealed many myths and legends in depth than you can find in or on manyresources (especially over the internet). I highly recommend this book forthe readers enjoyment and information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Japanese Mythology and Archaeology
I am Japanese archaeologist living in London. I want to publish my book about relationship between Japanese mythology and archaeology. It means how to get a proof certain japanese mythology(mostly shinto related) through hard evidence of archaeological excavation in Japan. If someone help me in terms of publishing in US about this subject, for example I need a critics about my article and give me a guide line for publishing any form in US, please get in touch with me.My name is Kazuo and my e-mail is " SarEngland7@aol.com " ... Read more

Book Description
Japanese gods, too numerous to count, are known collectively as yaoyorozu-no-kamigami--the eight million. They are the cast of a vast, complex mythology that encompasses two religions, three cultures, and three millennia, one whose ancient deities are still hard at work today.Handbook of Japanese Mythology makes it easy to travel this vast yet little-known mythological landscape. The book reveals the origins of Japan's myths in the very different realms of Buddhism, Shinto, and folklore, and explores related mythologies of the Ainu and Okinawan cultures and recent myths arising from Japan's encounters with modernization. It then offers vivid retellings of the central Shinto and Buddhist myths, plus descriptions of major historical figures, icons, rituals, and events. For students or long-time enthusiasts, it is the ideal guide for investigating Japanese reverence for the sun, the imperial family, and the virtues of purity and loyalty. Readers will also learn why sumo wrestlers stomp before each match, how a fussy baby creates thunder, why Japan has a god for soccer, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fine scholarship, but a poorly made book
Michael Ashkenazi's Handbook of Japanese Mythology is a fine work of scholarship. Classical and modern myths of the Japanese people are presented comprehensively and with evident care. Associated references are listed at the end of articles where appropriate, and suggested reading notations are often appended. The index and bibliography are generous and well presented. Overall the book is a wonderful addition to any library of Japanese studies.

However, I must point out that the quality of the paper, binding and illustrations is POOR. For a book that sells for more than twenty cents per page of text, the quality of the materials is an insult to the purchaser. This book deserves a new edition on fine paper, with a fine binding, and with the illustrations presented as they deserve to be. It is a shame to see such a fine work of scholarship treated so badly by it's publisher. ... Read more

Book Description
The Black Forest is not the only place where fairies beguile and animals take human shape-the shadows of Mount Fuji boast their own impressive catalogue of accounts of the weird and the wonderful. From cautionary tales to ghostly visions, the fairy stories of Japan are characterized not only by the customary amount of fantasy but also by a welcome dose of mischievous fun. For any lover of other-worlds, dreamscapes, and magical beings, this collection of Japanese folk and fairy tales provides quick transportation to a land of miniature warriors, willow-women, and ogre-isles, beautifully accented by the unmistakable exoticism of the Land of the Rising Sun. Bohemian and writer PATRICK LAFCADIO HEARN (1850-1904) was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, and worked as newspaper reporter in the United States before decamping to Japan. He also wrote In Ghostly Japan (1899), and Kwaidan (1904). ... 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, 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