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MYTHS & LEGENDS OF JAPAN

BY

F. HADLAND DAVIS

AUTHOR OF "THE LAND OF THE YELLOW SPRING AND OTHER

JAPANESE STORIES" "THE PERSIAN MYSTICS" ETC.

WITH THIRTY-TWO FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

BY

EVELYN PAUL

LONDON

GEORGE G. HARRAP & COMPANY

9, PORTSMOUTH STREET, KINGSWAY, W. C.

1912

The Lovers who exchanged Fans.Fr. (See page 245)

DEDICATED TO

MY WIFE

[Pg v]

PREFACE

In writing Myths and Legends of Japan I have been much indebted tonumerous authorities on Japanese subjects, and most especially toLafcadio Hearn, who first revealed to me the Land of the Gods. Itis impossible to enumerate all the writers who have assisted me inpreparing this volume. I have borrowed from their work as persistentlyas Japan has borrowed from other countries, and I sincerely hopethat, like Japan herself, I have made good use of the material I haveobtained from so many sources.

I am indebted to Professor Basil Hall Chamberlain for placing his workat my disposal, and I have found his encyclopædic volume, ThingsJapanese, his translation of the Kojiki, his Murray's Hand-book forJapan (in collaboration with W. B. Mason), and his Japanese Poetry,of great value. I thank the Executors of the late Dr. W. G. Aston forpermission to quote from this learned authority's work. I have madeuse of his translation of the Nihongi (Transactions of the JapanSociety, 1896) and have gathered much useful material from A Historyof Japanese Literature. I am indebted to Mr. F. Victor Dickins forallowing me to make use of his translation of the Taketori Monogatariand the Ho-jō-ki. My friend Mrs. C. M. Salwey has taken a sympatheticinterest in my work, which has been invaluable to me. Her book, Fansof Japan, has supplied me with an exquisite legend, and many of herarticles have yielded a rich harvest. I warmly thank Mr. Yone Noguchifor allowing me to quote from his poetry, and also Miss Clara A. Walshfor so kindly putting at my disposal her fascinating volume, TheMaster-Singers of Japan, published by Mr. John Murray in the "Wisdomof the East" series. My thanks are[Pg vi] due to Messrs. Houghton, MifflinCompany, for allowing me to quote from Lafcadio Hearn's Glimpses ofUnfamil