Myths and Legends of Japan

Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable and informative.
Review: Instead of merely translating a number of common myths and legends, the authors explain each story in a summary fashion, and always in third person. I personally found this to be very distracting, not to mention a little dry. If you are looking for a book which captures the spirit of the Japanese tales instead of merely recounting their basic plot lines, this is not the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: More Academic Than Enjoyable
Review: Instead of merely translating a number of common myths and legends, the authors explain each story in a summary fashion, and always in third person. I personally found this to be very distracting, not to mention a little dry. If you are looking for a book which captures the spirit of the Japanese tales instead of merely recounting their basic plot lines, this is not the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable and informative.
Review: Of course I am not an expert on "Myths and Legends of Japan", so I cannot judge the accuracy of the book, but nevertheless I do think that this is an absolutely fantastic read. First published in 1913, and thanks to one of my favourite publishing companies, Dover, made available again in 1992.

It's not just a collection of (translated) stories of myths and legends in Japan, the author also gives some background information and further explanations.

The range of topics covered is huge: from the Gods to heroes and warriors to foxes to legends in Japanese art to the sacred Mount Fuji to flowers and gardens, mirrors, insects, fans, thunder, superstitions, supernatural beings, Kintaro... to give you just a few examples!

I must admit that at first I found it difficult to get into this book, but after about 30 pages I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down. Some of the stories are very moving, some breath-taking, others just sweet...

Since common myths and legends of a people do say quite a bit about it, one can only be blown-away by just what a nation Japan must be!

Rating:
Summary: I wish I had found this sooner!
Review: This book is exactly what I had been looking for to quench my thirst for knowledge of Japanese mythology. Each of the 31 chapters covers a different subject and does so very well. My favorite chapters were: V. Fox Legends, IX. Legends of Mount Fuji, XXII. Animal Legends, XXIII. Bird and Insect Legends, XXVII. Legends of the Sea, XXVIII. Superstitions, and XXIX. Supernatural Beings. I highly recommend this to the mythology buff as well as the casual reader looking for something interesting to read.