Supernatural tales from the most famous anthology in all of Japanese literature!
The Konjaku Monogatari Shu is a collection of tales from Buddhist and popular Japanese folklore that was compiled in the twelfth century. The stories in this book tell of fearsome demons, tengu goblins, kitsune fox spirits, flying hermits and gods who suddenly appear out of nowhere to rescue foolish humans. There are tales of vengeful animals, robbers, bandits and murderers, as well as ordinary people from all walks of life. This volume contains the largest collection of Konjaku Monogatari stories ever translated into English. It presents the low and the high, the humble and the devout, and the flirting, farting and fornicating of everyday men and women. The ninety tales in this book include:Naoshi Koriyama taught at Toyo University in Tokyo and is now Professor Emeritus. He is the translator of Like Underground Water: The Poetry of Mid-Twentieth Century Japan and numerous other books of verse.
Bruce Allen is Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Seisen University in Tokyo. He has translated several works of the Japanese writer Ishimure Michiko, including her novel Lake of Heaven. Karen Thornber (foreword) is professor and chair of comparative literature, Harvard University; she is also chair of HarvardÆs Regional Studies East Asia Program and holds an additional faculty appointment in HarvardÆs Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. Her books include Empire of Texts in Motion: Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese Transculturations of Japanese Literature and Ecoambiguity: Environmental Crises and East Asian Literatures.