Classic Stories from Japan

A collection of famous and lesser-known tales from classic Japanese folklore.

Twenty-eight entertaining, playful tales from Japanese folklore feature in this anthology. A man who ardently desires eternal life is swiftly taught a lesson. A couple fall in love and find each other across the centuries. Monkeys, badgers, and other meddlesome creatures abound, as well as fortune tellers, malevolent spirits and mysterious paintings. And everything comes with a magical twist.

Unexpected time slips happen in "Urashima Taro," where a young fisherman ends up married to a princess and lives undersea for centuries. Spirits are all around us: in "The Laughing Dumpling," an elderly woman outwits a demon who has acquired a taste for her cooking. Ghostly hauntings are visited on those who have done wrong, like "Tajima Shume" or souls who must rest, like "A Dead Secret." Sudden visions carry important messages in "The Dream of Akinosuke" and "How Yogodayu Won a Battle." Famous tales like "The Marvellous Tea Kettle" and "The Bamboo Cutter and the Moon Child" (which inspired Studio Ghibli's Princess Kaguya) remind us that the boundary between the magical and the everyday is only too fragile.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library, a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics, bound in cloth with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.