Tag - folklore

 
 

FOLKLORE

Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2020
Senior demon slayer: Grandmother gets doctorate for study on Japanese monsters
Misako Nagura, 73, first entered university at 54, and has traveled abroad to present her findings on folklore apparitions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 7, 2020
The publishing industry can't get enough books on supernatural Japanese stories
While this year alone saw the release of well over 100 English nonfiction books about Japan, ranging from accounts of the atomic bombings, to memoirs, travelogues and countless explorations of Japanese culture, one trend in particular stands out from the rest: books on Japanese myths and legends, covering yūrei (ghosts), yōkai (monsters), folklore, unsolved mysteries, haunted places and more.
Japan Times
CULTURE
May 29, 2020
Japan turns to two-headed bird in hope of ending coronavirus pandemic
The legendary bird was said to have predicted a cholera outbreak in the late 19th century.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Sep 29, 2018
Kenji Miyazawa's 'Once and Forever': More than a happy ending
"Once and Forever" is a brand-new selection of 24 lesser-known, but equally delightful and imaginative tales by Kenji Miyazawa expertly translated into English by the late John Bester.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Mar 3, 2018
Asking for the moon
"The moon's beautiful, isn't it?"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 19, 2016
Spooky beasts keep haunting Japan's art
Seething masses of people crushed together in searing heat; empty-eyed wraiths, heads drooping in despair, shuffling to and fro — waiting for the time when they will be released their suffering. Tokyo can be hell in July and August. It isn't all bad though; there's an excellent exhibition on yōkai, the various devils, demons and spirits of Japanese folklore, at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 6, 2016
Once Upon a Time in Japan
"Once Upon a Time in Japan" is an ideal introduction to Japanese folktales. Published by Tuttle with NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation, the stories in this children's storybook were chosen from a popular series produced by Radio Japan, NHK World's radio service broadcast globally in 18 different languages.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 6, 2014
On the hunt for Tono's mythical water trolls
Sushi fans will probably know that cucumber rolls are known as kappamaki in Japanese. This is in honor of what is surely one of Japan's strangest mythical creatures — the kappa.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 25, 2014
Spooky tales from beyond the grave
Ghost stories are universal, but Japanese ghost stories, argues Zack Davisson in "Yurei: The Japanese Ghost," are unique. So much so that Davisson, a translator and essayist who is something of a specialist in the supernatural, uses yūrei, the Japanese word for spook, throughout the text. He also makes big claims for them, saying that "almost all of Japan's most talented writers have turned their considerable talents to yūrei at some point in their careers." Define "most" and "talented."
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL
Apr 17, 2014
Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai: Tales of the Weird and the Strange
While many overseas scholars are attracted to the retrained aesthetics of Japanese arts and letters, it was the country's wild and wooly folklore that captivated Zack Davisson, an American writer and translator. While pursuing his masters degree in Japanese studies Davisson immersed himself in the mysterious world of kaidan. These are not your horror ghost stories, but any story that has an element of the strange and unusual.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 1, 2013
Seven Unlucky Gods sowing misery across Japan
I have a theory about the conspicuous absence of the Seven Lucky Gods: They each have an evil twin.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world