Folktales from the Japanese Countryside

Storytellers should find much here which will be fun to use. Fran has done an impeccable job of producing scholarly tale notes for the stories, giving Japanese Ikeda numbers as well as Stith Thompson Motif numbers. Fran discusses the tale motifs and Hiroko comments on the tale, placing it in cultural context. The book also includes games, crafts, recipes, and a chapter on storytelling in Japan today by Mikki Sakurai, president of The Japan Storyteller's Association. Though there are many Japanese folktale collections on our shelves, this is the first one directly from the mouth of a practicing teller with a background in traditional lore. Don't miss this one! * In The Wind *
This volume, really a collaboration of four experts, contains an excellent collection of authentic tales, color photos, interesting drawings, and background information. Along with its companions, this volume is an excellent source for tellable tales when authentic cultural perspectives are needed….Bottom line: Highly recommended for both elementary and secondary library collections. * Teacher Librarian *
So often when I pick up a book of folktales from a specific geographic location I discover I already have many of the tales in other collections. Looking through the tales in this book I found only one tale I already had, and that one was a distinct variation. Given I possess twelve folktale collections from Japan in my library this was a delightful change. * Storylines *
A lovely, hardbound edition that contains more than the stories: it has a brief history of Japan and a discussion of storytelling in Japan, and it also includes recipes (including ones for Mochi and Botamochi), games, and crafts, and notes on each story in the book. This book is a wonderful resource that will enrich the repertoire of any storyteller as well as providing information for scholars of Japanese folk traditions. Parents and grandparents will find wonderful short stories to learn and tell to their children. This book is a bargain at $40. The binding and paper is very high quality, and the contents are priceless! * Storytell *
…a useful work for research. However, its primary purpose is to encourage the understanding of Japanese oral literature through the oral telling of the tales to schoolchildren. This is a good book worthy of consideration by both the scholar and the general reader. * Folklore *