Japanese Tales

Japanese Tales.

London: The Folio Society, [2018]. Second printing thus, 2023. Edited and translated by Royall Tyler, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. 279 × 187 × 33 mm. Pp. [i– iv] v–lxi [lxii–lxiv], [1–2] 3–303 [304]: [12] leaves of colour plates (facing pp. [iii], 120, 168, 216, and between pp. 32–33, 88–89, 248–249 and 272–273). Type: Fournier. Printed and bound by L.E.G.O. in full blue cloth blocked in red, silver and black with a design by Shimizu; blue endleaves printed with wave design in silver. Blue slip case blocked with silver moth flying towards a section removed to expose front board moon. Contains 170 tales grouped by theme. In addition to the plates, which include four double-page spreads, the artist has supplied black and white drawings for the headings.

A window into a long-vanished culture that still fascinates, this collection of 170 tales introduces us to a broad tableau of characters: saints and scoundrels, ghosts and magical healers and a vast assortment of deities and demons.

The tales cover unexpected themes such as Surprises, Monk Jokes and Oddities; all offer invaluable insights into Japan’s cultural heritage. From a young boy cunningly outwitting a monk so he can claim a pot of delicious syrup for himself, to a man who steals a dream from a dream-reader and nuns who dance ecstatically after eating wild mushrooms then run down a hill to surprise a group of woodcutters, the topics are far-reaching and the narratives enchanting. Despite many of the tales’ almost 1,000-year history, Royall Tyler’s sympathetic and colloquial translations ensure the human conditions they convey are not so far removed from our modern experience. Compassion, jealousy, lust, benevolence, greed, charity – all these traits and more are depicted in this diverse work of reality and fantasy, populated by a large cast of mythical and human figures.

Condition

NEW in Folio Society's wrapping paper. No bumps, nor dents. Looks to be a flawless copy. The first four photos are of the book being sold, while the pictures from within the book are from a previous copy we have sold.