Tales from Old Japan

This collection of over 170 stories provides a glimpse into Japan's rich folk literature. Japanese folktales include mysterious creatures often familiar to those of us in the West, such as kappa and foxes. But the tales also include stories about tools acquiring spirits and trees that marry men. Some stories undermine gender roles of their time, featuring female characters that defy their families' wishes. Still others provide moral lessons and face the fleeting nature of life.Many stories follow the adventures of historical figures with the added twists of legends. Ghosts and spirits abound in these stories, but they remain vulnerable to the steel of a sword. But the rarest of stories end happily. Japanese folktales prefer to take a realistic view of life, embracing the reality of death and separation. Willows face the axes of men, and men must accept the reality of aging. Despite the age of many of these stories, they remain fresh and often poignant for today's readers.