Tales of Old JapanFolklore, Fairy Tales, Ghost Stories and Legends of the Samurai

About This Book

Tales of Old Japan is a pioneering anthology compiled by British diplomat Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford during his posting to Japan from 1866 to 1870 — a period of dramatic upheaval as the feudal Tokugawa shogunate gave way to the Meiji Restoration. First published in 1871 by Macmillan in London, it was the first major collection of Japanese folklore, fairy tales, and legends to appear in the English language.

The book opens with its most famous story — The Forty-Seven Ronin (Chushingura), the classic tale of samurai honor and revenge that became, through this very book, one of the first Japanese stories widely known in the West. The collection spans an extraordinary range of Japanese culture: romantic tragedies of the pleasure quarters, tales of otokodaté (street knights of Edo), beloved fairy tales like Momotaro (The Adventures of Little Peachling) and The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, chilling ghost stories including The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima, and three Buddhist sermons of the Shingaku sect.

What makes this book truly unique are Mitford's appendices: his detailed, first-person account of a seppuku (hara-kiri) ceremony — one of the first ever recorded by a Western observer — along with descriptions of Japanese marriage ceremonies, child-rearing customs, and funeral rites. These appendices provide invaluable ethnographic documentation of a society on the brink of radical transformation.

The book was illustrated with 31 woodblock prints by Japanese artists, and has been continuously in print for over 150 years — a testament to its enduring appeal to anyone interested in Japanese culture, folklore, and history.

Table of Contents

Historical Tales

• The Forty-Seven Ronin
• The Loves of Gompachi and Komurasaki
• Kazuma's Revenge
• A Story of the Otokodaté of Yedo
• The Wonderful Adventures of Funakoshi Jiuyemon
• The Eta Maiden and the Hatamoto

Fairy Tales

• The Tongue-Cut Sparrow
• The Accomplished and Lucky Tea-Kettle
• The Crackling Mountain
• The Old Man Who Made Withered Trees Blossom
• The Battle of the Ape and the Crab
• The Adventures of Little Peachling (Momotaro)
• The Foxes' Wedding
• The History of Sakata Kintoki
• The Elves and the Envious Neighbour

Ghost Stories & Superstitions

• The Ghost of Sakura
• How Tajima Shume Was Tormented by a Devil
• The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima
• The Story of the Faithful Cat
• How a Man Was Bewitched by the Foxes
• The Grateful Foxes
• The Badger's Money
• The Prince and the Badger

Appendices

• An Account of the Hara-Kiri (Seppuku)
• The Marriage Ceremony
• On the Birth and Rearing of Children
• Funeral Rites

What Critics Say

One of the first and in many ways still one of the best books on Japan.— The Japan Times

An excellent introduction to Japanese literature.— Mainichi Daily News

[In Tales of Old Japan] I learned for the first time the proper attitude of any rational man to his country's laws — a secret found, and kept, in the Asiatic islands.— Robert Louis Stevenson, "Books Which Have Influenced Me" (1887)

Lord Redesdale demonstrates great intelligence and writes with superb style. The three short chapters that Redesdale devotes to hara-kiri provide the strongest impact on the reader.— Goodreads reviewers

Why This Book Matters

First of its kind. Tales of Old Japan was the first substantial collection of Japanese folklore and legends published in the English language, making Japanese culture accessible to Western audiences for the first time.

Eyewitness history. Mitford was one of the first Westerners to witness a seppuku ceremony — the ritual suicide of Taki Zenzaburo at Seifukuji Temple in February 1868 following the Kobe Incident. His account remains one of the most detailed and vivid descriptions of this practice ever recorded.

Influenced Robert Louis Stevenson. The author of Treasure Island listed this book among those that most influenced him. The stories of the 47 Ronin and Yoshida awakened his patriotism and love for Scotland.

Shaped The Mikado. Mitford served as a consultant on Japanese culture for Gilbert and Sullivan's famous opera The Mikado (1885). A traditional Japanese melody he hummed during rehearsals became the march for the Mikado's entrance.

Part of the Japonism movement. The opening of Japan to Western trade in the late 19th century sparked a craze for Japanese art and culture across Europe. This book was one of the key texts fueling that cultural fascination.

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