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(More customer reviews)The Forgotten Japanese was first published in 1960 and this classic has remained in print in Japan until the present day with more than 57 printings, relating oral accounts of Japanese rural life from 1850-1960. In fact, it was an eyeopener for the Japanese who read the book in 1960 as the way of life described in this book had already mostly passed away.
I love to read travelogues of Japan, but most of the modern ones (written by foreigners like Alan Booth, Alex Kerr, Donald Keene) in the 70s, 80s and 90s place the past on a pedestal and lament its passing. The notion of an idealized rural life does the real Japanese lifestyle a grave disservice as the reality, as depicted in this book is more nuanced, harsher yet more full of vitality and charm.
When reading the book one learns that one has to carry one's own rice when travelling around the country for there is none to be spared, children are considered to be adults at 6 years old. Most farming families kept two years store of food and one only ate the unhusked rice from the year before. Those too poor to take care of their children were given away. There are the dangers of going out to sea, no matter how good a fisherman you were.
But at the same time they would walk 8-10 miles if there was a beautiful girl and sneak into their houses, peeing on the runners when sneaking in so they wouldn't squeak. Singing competitions where the winner could sleep with the loser. Priests with the powers to see into people's hearts and stories of ghosts and fox spirits. There was immense beauty in that life also.
For those who want to really understand rural Japan, beyond staying at the local ryokan, Jeffrey Irish has done a wonderful job of translating this into easily readable english. This is truly an indispensible resource and is well worth reading and re-reading.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Forgotten Japanese: Encounters with Rural Life and Folklore
Tsuneichi Miyamoto (1907–1981), a leading Japanese folklore scholar and rural advocate, walked 160,000 kilometers to conduct interviews and capture a dying way of life. This collection of photos, vignettes, and life stories from pre- and postwar rural Japan is the first English translation of his modern Japanese classic. From blowfish to landslides, Miyamoto's stories come to life in Jeffrey Irish's fluid translation.
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