Folktales often present moral or life lessons specific to a culture and the mythology surrounding it. These tales also often include the spiritual or religious aspects of a society. Through folktales one can perceive a crucial part of a culture’s spirit. Folktales are the stories of old that a people has told since their beginning; folding into the developing culture to the point where a story may eventually be forgotten, but the lesson of it remains in the heart of the nation. Reading Japanese folktales can bring perspective to both Japan’s past and present.
Lists of Folktales:
- Kids Web Japan
- 16 Japanese Folktales for Kids
- Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: the Nihon Ruiki of the Monk Kyokai
- Japanese Mythology and Folklore
Folktales:
- The Old Bamboo-Hewer’s Story
- The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Trailer) (an adaption of the story above)
- Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
- Folktales from Japan
- Japanese Folktales (Yanagita Kunio)
- Ancient Tales and Folklore from Japan
Analysis of Folktales:
- Thematic Patterns in Japanese Folktales: a Search for Meanings
- Types of Japanese Folktales
- National Characteristics of Japanese Folktales
Lesson Plans:
- Japanese Folktales (Grades K-8)
- Japanese Folktales (Grades 3-6)
- Exploring World Cultures Through Folk Tales (Grades 3-5)