Kojiki: The Birth of Japan

"What makes this book special is the author's own long familiarity with the actual physical locations where some of the events took place…Because of her intense personal connection with the Kojiki story, Kazumi Wilds was moved to design and print a very special limited-edition artist book on her own handmade paper that embodied the mystery of the original story. Tuttle now gives a much wider audience the opportunity to experience this beautifully executed book." --Timothy Barrett, Director, University of Iowa Center for the Book
"Kazumi Wilds' beautifully conceived retelling of the Kojiki comes at a perfect time, coinciding as it does with a resurgence of interest in Japan's earliest surviving work. The illustrations are exquisitely executed, perfectly evoking not only the mystery of myth, but also resonating with the rhythms of the text in a way that will bring this classic of world mythology alive…" --Gustav Heldt, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature, University of Virginia & translator of The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters
"Visually stunning and textually lyrical, Wilds captures the playfulness and sense of humor which often gets lost in the act of translation and study of the Japanese creation myth. First birth, first death, and, ultimately, the divorce at the cosmic level, this works gives insights into how modern Japanese society still lives under the shadow of Kojiki. Here in our hands, we have a welcome addition to the Kojiki study that is both modern and traditional, profound and profane, celestial and earthy." --Mariko Nagai, Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Japanese Literature at Temple University Japan Campus