Myths and Legends of Japan

About this book

Sun goddesses, moon princesses, warriors and shape-shifting foxes inhabit this illustrated collection of Japanese legends. Stories of Amaterasu, Kaguya, Yoshitsune and Benkei sit beside traditions of Buddhism, Mount Fuji and everyday customs. Thirty-two colour plates by Evelyn Paul give the narratives a distinctive visual counterpart. Drawn partly from earlier writers including Lafcadio Hearn, the retellings reflect an early twentieth-century British encounter with Japanese traditions rather than a single authoritative Japanese source.