Book Description
Long, long ago in Kyoto, the people of the city were terrified by accounts of a dreadful ogre, who, it was said, haunted the Gate of Rashomon at twilight and seized whoever passed by. The missing victims were never seen again, so it was whispered that the ogre was a horrible cannibal, who not only killed the unhappy victims but ate them also. Now everybody in the town and neighborhood was in great fear, and no one durst venture out after sunset near the Gate of Rashomon.Download Description
This collection of Japanese fairy tales is the outcome of a suggestion made to me indirectly through a friend by Mr. Andrew Lang. They have been translated from the modern version written by Sadanami Sanjin. 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. Grateful acknowledgment is due to Mr. Y. Yasuoka, Miss Fusa Okamoto, my brother Nobumori Ozaki, Dr. Yoshihiro Takaki, and Miss Kameko Yamao, who have helped me with translations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Child's Treasury of Japanese Fairy Tales
Originally published in 1903,Yei Theodora Ozaki's translation of Sadanami Sanjin's collection of Japanese fairy tales has been the introduction of many a young child into the legends and fables of old Japan across the years.Definitely not a scholarly reference or valuable research tool for folktale researchers, Ozaki unabashedly re-crafted some of the stories, translating loosely and adding in elements of unrelated tales, in order to make them more enjoyable and understandable for Western children.She even gave Urashimataro a happy ending!

There is something delightfully romantic about translations from this era, due to the unfamiliarity with Japanese culture at the time.Terms that would not be translated today, like "oni" and "samurai", are rendered as "ogre" and "knight" and other English equivalents.While unauthentic, this makes the stories more approachable by young children who have a mind for fantasy but haven't yet graduated to Japanese Studies.

While far from a picture book, artist Kakuzo Fujiyama contributed 66 beautiful drawings to illustrate the 22 tales. Unfortunately, all the illustrations are reproduced in black-and-white, instead of the original color plates included in the original pressings.

Many of the stories here are familiar with anyone even slightly interested in Japanese folklore."Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of a Peach, "The Story of Urashima Taro, the Fisher Lad", "Kintaro the Golden Boy" and "The Ogre of Rashomon".Along with these, there are rarer tales that I haven't seen in any other Japanese fairy tale collection."The Stones of Five Colors and the Empress Jokwa", "The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar" and "How and Old Man Lost his Wren" were all new to me. ... Read more

Book Description
The author's second collection of Japanese folklore.Included are stories from such classics as the Heike Monogatari. ... Read more

Book Description
1903. Twenty-two Japanese legends and fairy tales about peasants and kings, good and bad forces, princesses, animals, the sea, and the sky written for children of the West. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

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

Book Description
This book is a collection of Japanese fairy tales and folklore stories. ... Read more

Product Description
22 fairy tales; 62 illustrations by Kakuzo Fujiyama. ... Read more