Japanese Miscellany [Paperback]

Lafcadio Hearn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1989

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (December 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804803072
• ISBN-13: 978-0804803076
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,036,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dragonflies, Samurai ghosts and Buddhist rituals, July 27, 2003

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Japanese Miscellany: Strange Stories, Folklore Gleanings, Studies Here & There (Writings on Japan by Lafcadio Hearn) (Paperback)

Like all of Lafcadio Hearn's writings, "A Japanese Miscellany" is full of wandering musings, thoughts and observations of Japan freshly under the Meiji Restoration, when hints of old Japan could still be seen in the life of the people. All of the stories are fairly short, and reflect Hearn's love of folk magic, ghosts and moonlight themes.

The book is broken into three section. Strange Stories are all short fiction ghost tales. Folklore Gleanings is made up of scientific observations and reports, and Studies Here and There collects some interesting non-fiction tales of death and Buddhist rites.

Strange Stories - "Of a Promise Kept" is a honest, honorable Samurai ghost story. "Of a Promise Broken" is the opposite, an eerie tale of Samurai dishonor. "Before the Supreme Court," "The Story of Kogi the Priest" and "The Story of Kwashin Koji" are Buddhist folk tales full or morality and magic. "The Story of Umetsu Chubei" is a Samurai tale of heritage and strength.

Folklore Gleanings - "Dragon Flies" is an in-depth article on Dragon Flies, including drawings, myths and a collection of translated haikus. It is one of the longer pieces in the book. "Buddhist Names of Plants and Animals" is just that, showing the Buddhist origins of the names of several species. "Songs of Japanese Children" is also self-explanatory and is the longest article.

Studies Here and There - "On a Bridge" is a short bit of non-fiction about Samurai and peasants. "The Case of O-Dai" is a sad tale of early Christian missionaries, and their lack of respect for the native culture leading to one woman's destruction. "Beside the Sea" tells of a Buddhist ocean ritual for drowned sailors. "Drifting" is the story of a typhoon, and a brush with death. "Otokichi's Daruma" talks about the Daruma, a tiny Buddhist god of luck.