Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Elsewhere in the Dojo, member Usagi-Yojimbo asked about Japanese Folklore...

Usagi-Yojimbo wrote:I'd like to read more Japanese folklore. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I thought I'd try and start up a discussion where we can get a little more into this.

I too would like to read more Japanese folktales, but I haven't given it much research yet. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as books go? I'd be interested in anything - from children's books to more historical accounts.

I know one of the most famous tales is that of Momotarō (the Peach Boy).

I just watched another tale on blu-ray over the weekend - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. This is a Studio Ghibli film based on the folktale "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". I do not know how accurate or true to the original tale this film is, but it is well written and the artwork is unique (very different from most Ghibli films). I highly recommend it!

This is a good book of Japanese folktales:

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Tales-Pa ... 0375714510

This book is worth reading too, it's a book of adapted versions of Japanese folktales by 20th Century author Osamu Dazai:

http://www.amazon.com/Otogizoshi-Fairy- ... samu+dazai

And of course, there's also Lafcadio Hearn's stories as well.

Another recommendation for a book that will probably be good (comes out on July 5):

http://www.amazon.com/Folk-Legends-Tono ... 44224822X/