If you read Japanese folklore, you notice how different the endings seem against Western stories. In most Japanese folktales, people die in the end. Happily-ever-after endings stand out because of their rarity. Of course, most of Grimm’s fairy tales end on a similar note. The children’s versions of Grimm’s most of us in the West…
Tag: folklore
Kiyohimé or the Power of Love
Kiyohimé was written down around 1887 and contains dated language and spellings. This period brought many stories from Japan to the West. I left the language unchanged; I find the language charming. A bonze is another name for a Japanese or Chinese monk. A bonzerie is a monastery. Quiet and shady was the spot in the…
The Three Legends of Lake Biwa
These three stories combine to create a single legend. I kept the original 1918 spellings and grammar. I find them charming and interesting examples of how language can change. Language changes quite a bit over the course of a century. In any case, I hope you enjoy these stories. While up fishing on Lake Biwa,…
The Firefly’s Lovers
This story was collected around 1887 when the American William Griffis visited Japan. Many of Japan’s early Western visitors during the Meiji period collected and recorded the oral stories they encountered. IN JAPAN the night-flies emit so brilliant a light and are so beautiful that ladies go out in the evenings and catch the insects…
Myths, Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, and Urban Legends Defined and Explained
The differences among myths, folk tales, fairy tales, and urban legends can be a bit confusing, but understanding the differences matters. Anime pulls from a large pool of Japanese stories, and sometimes anime can be tough to fully understand without a background in these stories. In fact, modern story telling owes their plots, character types,…
The Bandits and the Wrestlers, a Tanuki Tale
In a large but very old house there lived a Mr. Kitabayashi and his family. On the occasion of his son’s marriage, Kitabayashi gave quite a banquet, with choice food including the auspicious mixture of rice and red beans, the sekihan. The food was so plentiful that after the guests had retired there were still…