The book reveals the origins of japans myths in the very different realms of buddhism, shinto, and folklore, and explores related mythologies of the ainu and okinawan cultures and recent myths arising from japans encounters with. Navigate to the global search form search landmark. Japanese religionan excellent source is ruth benedicts the chrysanthemum and sword. The book was originally published in japanese, selling over 40,000 copies and has finally been translated into english for the benefit of a larger audience. Japanese folklore and mythology new world encyclopedia.
Most of the surviving japanese myths are recorded in the kojiki compiled 712. Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that includes shinto and buddhist traditions. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shapeshifting foxes and longtongued ceilinglickers. Retellings of classic stories and folklore are easy to find no matter what genre you love to read, and the possibilities are endless. In japanese mythology he was the god of storms and the sea, as well as the brother and adversary of the goddess amaterasu. The best fantastical japanese mythology books anime impulse. Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in. A captivating guide to japanese folklore, myths, fairy tales, yokai, heroes and heroines explore captivating myths of japanese deities, yokai, heroes and heroines the study of mythology and folklore is a peculiar one to the ext.
Japanese mythology is the mythology that embraces shinto and buddhist traditions as well as agriculturallybased folk religion. Ive been wanting to read a bit about japanese myths and legends, kamis and yokais, and the main reference i found was handbook of japanese mythology, which seems quite complete. Their story is told in the 8th century ce japanese compendium of mythology, the kojiki. The classic stories of mythology have been repeatedly mined for inspiration and reinterpreted for modern times, and have been an ongoing trend in young adult literature. Japanese mythology is a complex system of beliefs that also embraces shinto and buddhist traditions as well as agriculturebased folk religion. Japanese mythology dates back 2000 years and melds the beliefs of the shinto and buddhist religions with a focus on creation and the forces of nature. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
The kojiki or record of ancient things is the oldest known book of myths, legends, and history of japan. Invaluable source book of stories, myths, characters and japanese historical context. The birth of the gods izanagi, izamani, amaterasu, tsukuyomi, and takehaya susanoo. The japanese for mythology is find more japanese words at. A superhero tale of china, retold from the journey to the west by aaron shepard lady white snake. The mythology of spirit doubles can be traced back thousands of years and was present in many cultures of the past, holding a prominent place in ancient legends, stories, artworks, and in books by various authors. Japanese mythology izanagi and izanami and the birth of.
Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in. Doppelgangers and curious myths and stories of spirit. Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of japan. A tale from chinese opera, retold by aaron shepard ancient tales and folklore of china, by edward t. Shinto and buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of japanese mythology. For more great fantasy reads, check out our fantasy books for kids and 10 thrilling books for teens who love fantasy. Every book ive seen on their mythology either has only one star on barnes and noble, or only 32 pages, which cant possibly teach me anything. I want to gift for my brothers birthday a book on japanese mythology, hes very into japanese culture and folklore, and he also enjoys mythology in general. Japanese mythology gods, goddess, creatures and stories. The creation story of japan illustrated with japanese art. Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the japanese archipelago.
Japan, of course, is a single nation, but its origins are so old and often so fragmented that unifi. By purchasing books through this website, you support our nonprofit organization. I really want to know more about japanese mythology, but i dont know where to look. To really delve into the mythology, we need a book that tells of us the diverse breadth of stories that makeup japanese history and culture.
Elsewhere, the seach will be visibly opened after this button is selected. The shinto religion alone has many kami japanese for gods or spirits most japanese myths, as generally known today, are based on the kojiki, nihonshoki and some other books. Fantasy, magical realism, mythic fiction, historic fiction, or general fiction based in japanese mythology. Japanese mythology, body of stories compiled from oral traditions concerning the legends, gods, ceremonies, customs, practices, and historical accounts of the japanese people. Red winter by annette marie, across the nightingale floor by lian hearn, inuyasha. The history of thousands of years of contact with china, korea, ainu, and okinawan myths are also key influences in japanese mythology.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Japanese mythology the mythology of japan has a long history dating. Japanese folklore are heavily influenced by the two primary religions of japan, shinto and buddhism. In a world thought to have been createdand nearly destroyedby the primordial gods izanagi and izanami, mythic heroes battled ferocious dragons and giant spiders, while ordinary bamboo cutters and farmers made unexpected contact with the supernatural. The drama of myths are particularly wellsuited to provide the scaffolding for teenage stories, whether focused coming of age or romance and adventure. Japanese mythology includes a vast number of gods, goddesses, and spirits. What is a good book about japanese mythology and other cultures. Japanese mythology dates back to more than two centuries and is an intricate system of beliefs that also incorporates the agriculturalbased folk religion as well as traditional buddhist and shinto beliefs.
The shinto religion alone has a very big number of kami japanese for gods or spirits most japanese myths, as generally known today, are based on the kojiki, nihonshoki and some other books. Shadow of the fox by julie kagawa, red winter by annette marie. The book reveals the origins of japans myths in the very different realms of buddhism, shinto, and folklore, and explores related mythologies of the ainu and. Discusses the mythology of japan, its origins in shintoism and buddhism, and the gods, spirits, men, and animals that appear in the many legends and stories. The shinto pantheon alone boasts an uncountable number of kami deities or spirits. The shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami japanese for gods or spirits. Japanese mythology simple english wikipedia, the free. He was born when izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. Readers of japanese mythology will learn the history of myths, as well as their deeper meaning. One notable feature of japanese mythology is its explanation of the origin of the imperial family, which has. The name appears as woden in anglosaxon sources for example, as the founder of several royal lineages in the anglosaxon chronicle and in forms such as wotan, wuotan or wodan in continental.
These lectures discuss various theories that address the origin, structure, and meaning of mythology. What are the best books in english about japanese mythology. The mythology of japan has a long history dating back more than 2,000 years. Whether youre obsessed with greek myths or intrigued by japanese folklore, this list is sure to have a title or two that can offer a great introduction to these beloved stories across the world. Japanese folklore have their origins in two major religions of japan, buddhism and shinto. The kojiki or record of ancient things is the oldest recognized book of myths, legends, and history of japan. The twelve norse gods and goddesses that are categorized as the aesir and identified as the warrior gods. However, my understanding is that it has quite a scholar approach to the subject, and that reading it feels more like a lecture, which is fine but not quite like im. Fiction based in japanese mythology 63 books goodreads. Shadow of the fox by julie kagawa, red winter by annette marie, flame in the mist by renee ahdieh, kinslayer by jay. The biblical hebrew origin of the japanese people casts a new light on the roots of the japanese people and its mysterious cultural sources. Handbook of japanese mythology handbooks of world mythology author. Mythological events were considered historical moments rather than mythology.
Of japanese origin, possibly meaning wild male, impetuous male. Japanese mythology ebook by jim ollhoff nook book ebook. Japanese mythology a to z, second edition is a valuable, colorful reference for anyone with an interest in mythology or japanese culture. The kojiki, which translates to the record of ancient matters, is an ancient document that elaborates the legends and myths of japan. Sources for japanese myths for many centuries myths were transmitted orally in japan. As was common practice before the age of script, these tales were passed on through oral traditionsthe teiki and kuji, among othersfor generations before they were ever recorded. If a book for japanese mythology is hard to come by, i would be fine with a more general like asian mythology, to. Strauss, campbell, and others are explored and applied through an intensive study. Handbook of japanese mythology handbooks of world mythology.
Handbook of japanese mythology by michael ashkenazi. Japanese mythology is collectively chronicled in the kojiki, the oldest historical record written in japan in 712 ad, and in the nihon shoki written in 720. Handbook of japanese mythology makes it easy to travel this vast yet littleknown mythological landscape. The best fantastical japanese mythology books anime. This article will discuss only the typical elements present in asian mythology, such as cosmogony, important deities, and the bestknown japanese stories. The fantastic in every sense of the word books on this list draw from indian, norse, japanese, chinese, and korean myths. These religious beliefs originated in india and came to japan to china and korea. In japanese mythology, izanagi and izanami were a divine couple, brother and sister, who had a principle role in creating the islands of japan and from whom many important and elemental kami gods had their birth.
The tales in the kojiki tell of the creation of the world, the origin of the gods, and the ancestry of the japanese emperors, who claimed descent from the sun goddess. From the ruler of the heavens amaterasu to ryujin, the dragonking of the sea, this book helps kids understand the myths that shape and direct peoples lives. Japanese tales by royall tyler just the book with expansive content containing over two hundred of japans most revered tales. Buy a cheap copy of japanese mythology book by juliet piggott. An introductory guide to the mythology of japanone of the most pervasive yet least understood facets of japanese culture. The germanic people had their own pantheon of deities. Tales of expansive worlds, characters, and lessons that all represent the true. In this volume professor isomae argues that japanese mythology finds its uniqueness in the persistence of the interpretation of two specific scriptures.