Japanese Myths & Tales

by Alan Cummings (Contributor), Jake Jackson (Editor)

From the creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami designed to explain the orgins of the island of Japan, to the hundreds of kami (gods or spirits) and monsters Japanese legends tell the story of the land, the nation, the people and the divine heritage of the emperors of Japan. Often bloody, and fantastic, the tales are a powerful, rewarding read, gathered together in the gorgeous, deluxe hardcover editions of the Flame Tree series.

Genres: Mythology, Fantasy, Japan, Fiction, Short Stories, Folklore, Classics

480 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Mykola H.]

Загалом дуже навіть хороша книга. Від деяких історій не міг відірватись. Не вистачило більш детального опису богів і мітів про них, у книзі розповідається лиш про головні божества, та й те, найвідоміші історії.

З мінусів я б відзначив погану роботу редактора: зустрічав помилки; ситуації, де принц ставав принцесою через один абзац; дуже багато японських слів не пояснюються - бери і здогадуйся, що вони означають. У мене скалось враження, що редактор просто взяв тексти з інших книг та вставив їх в це видання.

Надзвичайно вразила історія Yotsuya Kaidan, the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon. Та читати її настільки важко, що я з впевненістю можу сказати - це найскладніше, що я читав до цього моменту. Banchō Sarayashiki - я взагалі пропустив, адже її читати взагалі неможливо. А загалом ці дві історії складають 1/3 книги, приблизно. Мені важко зрозуміти, чому ці дві твори не можна було якось адаптувати.

Загалом, книга варта прочитання, як перший крок до глибокого світу японської мітології та легенд.

[anna]

Yes, I am obsessed with all the flame tree publishing books.
The Japanese myths and tales were very interesting and as I’ve said in my other reviews, I love how in these books all the tales are small so it’s easier to read and stay hooked on them.
I had already read the Chinese myths and tales one which is funny because a lot of these tales were influenced by those, although the Japanese were a little more morbid and death centered, still if I had to choose the Chinese were my favorites.

[E. Mettille]

The organization and explanations of the stories, along with their origins and meanings, were top notch. This would make a great study guide, and I might use it as such if I ever attempt to pull Japanese myth into any of my stories. The stories themselves were explained more than told. It could be a result of translation, but the narration felt mostly flat to me. That said, I do intend to keep the book around as a reference.

[Bee Casey]

An excellent anthology from Flame Tree wrapped in a very beautiful cover. This collection pulled the ancient stories that turned into the myths and folklore in Japan into one place, laid out into different themes. The editing gave everything a very text-book feel rather than a story feel so just be aware of that before you read in case that's not the vibe you're looking for.

[Mary]

I really liked the tales and how they were translated and interpreted into the English language, but many of the tales in each category were extremely repetitive, so I ended up skipping the majority of the book because I felt like I was reading the same exact thing over and over again.

[Caitlin]

Couple of good stories, especially the romance with the fans, but overall not as enjoyable as I hoped.

Quick question for the class: an Ape vs an egg, a bee, a piece of seaweed and a crab—-who’s winning??? (There is a whole story about this no joke)

[Afzal]

Enjoyed it.

[Melina]

What’s not to like? Japanese myths and legends, it delivers what it describes, nothing more, nothing less.

[Brooke]

Interesting stories about myths from Japan. Kinda hard to understand since I don’t speak Japanese but I actually knew a lot of these legends from watching anime !

[Sue Hunter]

Ghost stories were especially gripping. O'Iwa Imori was my favorite, and the tragic romances were also highly enjoyable.

[Maria Levato]

Exstensive, accurate, and well-articulated. Very informative.