Japanese Mythology

by Juliet Piggott

Discusses the mythology of Japan, its origins in Shintoism and Buddhism, and the gods, spirits, men, and animals that appear in the many legends and stories.

Genres: Mythology, Nonfiction, History, Japan, Art, Folklore, Reference

141 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japanese Mythology by Juliet Piggott is a fantastic introduction to the topic. It doesn't go into a whole lot of detail on everything, but it acts as a great primer on the folklore particularly when it comes to ghosts, gods, and places. It presents the information in short, concise, and entertaining tidbits. If you are at all interested in the subject of Japanese mythology you will need to pick up a copy of Piggott's book.

[Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this the closest thing that one can get to a Japanese version of Edith Hamilton. Yes, I know that it's not complete, and I still have to get a lot of Japanese folk stories, especially in relation to ghosts (and its relevance to the modern Japanese horror films and books we have, mind you), but I think it's a good way of seeing the roots of Japanese culture as a whole.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little introduction to Japanese mythology. It doesn't go into a whole amount of detail, giving the reader the gist of some Japanese stories and legends. A digestible, entertaining read for anyone looking to start researching more into Japanese myths.

[Carlos · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was … meh. The most that can be said is that Piggott compiled a large number of tales and includes a list for further reading. The way the myths are presented is less than optimal. They are grouped in a haphazard way, despite the attempt at direction in the chapter headings. She summarizes tales instead of actually telling them. The illustrations are mostly unrelated to the tale summaries in the page. As a coffee book the book has too much text and too many black and white images, as something more serious the images actually get in the way and don’t help the uninspired summaries. The best use of it is as a strictly introductory reference work with a surprisingly adequate historical overview of Japan’s state formation, but I can’t think of anyone finding the book engaging or pleasurable.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable overview of Japanese mythology, and if you remember that it's of its time (written in 1969) and that it's not at all completist you'll surely enjoy it. Includes many images of Japanese artworks depicting deities, buddhas and bodhisattvas, and folktales, though the images don't tend to match the stories being told on the page. Tanuki is mistranslated as badger, which I found interesting. I'll add that if you're specifically interested in tales of yokai and yurei this book won't do it for you--there are a few tales of ghosts and demons, but more about the Shinto creation stories, famous heroes, oni and tengu, and animal tales.

[OksiiMoronn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is, and yet at the same time, is not a good Japanese mythology book. It tries to cover as many as possible myths (that are more relevant), but in doing so it gives of this feeling of to many, loosely put together information.
For what it's worth, you will get some basic Japanese mythology knowledge, but I can't guarantee your enjoyment while reading this book (I had to force myself to get through it sometimes).

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book that I still browse after many years.

[Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As other reviewers have stated, a great starter/primer on Japanese mythology but not complete. Great illustrations throughout the book and concise summaries of mythological people and places.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent text with many illustrations but most are mediocre black and white.

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief summary of Japanese mythology. As with all Paul Hamlyn myth books, really fine examples of the art of the culture were included, which made the book. Most of it wasn't about the gods themselves or their histories, but either folktales concerning talking animals or ghosts, or very loosely historical tales of heroes.

Of the indigenous mythological creatures, I liked the kappa, who lose their strength when the water is spilled from the dents in their heads. I also like the idea of the mischievous tengu. Like the others I've read in the series, the book could have used some cohesion, more detail where interesting-sounding stories are only glossed over, and a little better organization. But it's a good reference book as a starter, and again, great pictures (Japanese art is so detailed and stylized!).

[read twice]

[Amanda D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork is chosen as carefully as the text. It's a nice compliment to the text and makes the book feel like more of an immersive experience. If I had one critique, it's that the book doesn't include more individual stories. It's more of an overview of the themes in Japanese folklore and mythology. If they included more examples, the book would have lasted longer. I finished it way too fast!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very approachable and it did a great job of compacting a lot of into minimal space. It was readable and knew how to avoid being overly dry. My main complaint was the perspective of the writing was fairly Western, but fair enough, it is hard to capture some cultural influences that have no basis here. The weights given to various myths and even some of the finer details seemed off, and there was a certain idealization of Japanese culture and people (kind of Noble Savage in reverse).

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's what's important: I love Japan, I love mythology. Therefore, I loved reading this book!