--- product_id: 452931753 title: "Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary" price: "€ 40.51" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/452931753-folk-tales-of-japan-28-japanese-folk-tales-with-cultural store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary **Price:** € 40.51 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary - **How much does it cost?** € 40.51 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/452931753-folk-tales-of-japan-28-japanese-folk-tales-with-cultural) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Once upon a time in Japan, there was a province where parents who reached the age of sixty had to be abandoned deep in the woods on a hill called Ubasute-yama... Was the story based on a real practice? History is written and re-written by the victors of history, but folktales are told and retold by folks of the ordinary. The truths they intend to convey can differ greatly... A collection of 28 Japanese folktales coupled with a digestible explanation of the cultural and historical background of each. An excellent entry point into learning Japanese culture. Review: Interesting and great read! - This is a great book with short stories easy to dive into history with folk tales of the past. Love how the author brings past and present references to help reader understand the context. Review: Wonderful Stories and Fascinating Insights! - This book is filled 28 fantastic tales of Japanese folklore. The stories presented are by turns chilling, funny, and sweet. The commentary following each story is informative, witty and timely. The author shares his insights into history and culture in a way that anyone interested in Japan would find beautiful, entertaining, and useful. In addition, the artwork is charming! Separated into clear sections such as "Tales of Horror" and "Tales of Wit," the author has made it easy to either read through from cover to cover (as I did) or to skip around if one has a specific area of interest. Informative, but never pedantic, Mr. Ko's voice is clear, and I would compare the commentary to having a conversation about the reading with a knowledgeable friend. I often found myself smiling, growing a bit teary, or laughing out loud at the descriptions and explanations. He clearly separates the stories from his commentary, so I suppose it would be easy for a reader to skip the commentary if they wished, but if you did that, you'd be missing out significantly. One particular comparison of a historical figure from one of the tales to Keanu Reeves was particularly memorable and entertaining! The stories themselves are, for the most part, a few pages long at most, which makes this book perfect for those who tend to read in short bursts, but I found myself sucked in and saying, 'okay, just one more...' And then reading several! I wish I had the opportunity to award the book more than five stars. I will definitely be revisiting it again. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Japan specifically or folklore/fairytales/urban legends in general. I hope to read more from this author soon! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #32,177 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8 in Children's Asian Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths #10 in Japanese Literature #827 in Folklore (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 455 Reviews | ## Images ![Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61y2uU8UQTL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Interesting and great read! *by D***D on June 24, 2026* This is a great book with short stories easy to dive into history with folk tales of the past. Love how the author brings past and present references to help reader understand the context. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful Stories and Fascinating Insights! *by R***S on July 23, 2022* This book is filled 28 fantastic tales of Japanese folklore. The stories presented are by turns chilling, funny, and sweet. The commentary following each story is informative, witty and timely. The author shares his insights into history and culture in a way that anyone interested in Japan would find beautiful, entertaining, and useful. In addition, the artwork is charming! Separated into clear sections such as "Tales of Horror" and "Tales of Wit," the author has made it easy to either read through from cover to cover (as I did) or to skip around if one has a specific area of interest. Informative, but never pedantic, Mr. Ko's voice is clear, and I would compare the commentary to having a conversation about the reading with a knowledgeable friend. I often found myself smiling, growing a bit teary, or laughing out loud at the descriptions and explanations. He clearly separates the stories from his commentary, so I suppose it would be easy for a reader to skip the commentary if they wished, but if you did that, you'd be missing out significantly. One particular comparison of a historical figure from one of the tales to Keanu Reeves was particularly memorable and entertaining! The stories themselves are, for the most part, a few pages long at most, which makes this book perfect for those who tend to read in short bursts, but I found myself sucked in and saying, 'okay, just one more...' And then reading several! I wish I had the opportunity to award the book more than five stars. I will definitely be revisiting it again. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Japan specifically or folklore/fairytales/urban legends in general. I hope to read more from this author soon! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fun to read silently or aloud. *by B***S on March 7, 2026* I love Kyota Ko! If you haven’t subscribed to him on IG and/or Facebook, do it! He’s a fantastic storyteller—hilarious, thorough, eloquent and dramatic without being obnoxious, all while retaining the casual speech of a man relaying folk tales over a fire. This particular book has many short stories—only a couple pages each—that are both interesting and concise enough to read even to most children (although I personally didn’t find these stories inappropriate for most school-age children, I recommend reading through and deciding that for yourselves). You don’t need to be well-versed in East Asian lore, either, as each story includes a thorough annotation to help the reader understand things like the language, location, & cultural significance. The annotations themselves are written in the same simplistic style as the stories and are easy to understand. Highly recommend! ## Frequently Bought Together - Folk Tales of Japan: 28 Japanese folk tales with cultural commentary - Horror Tales of Japan: 21 Japanese folktales not to be read to children, coupled with (mostly) uplifting cultural commentary - Underdogs of Japanese History: 11 tales of iconic characters who prevailed against the odds... or didn’t --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/452931753-folk-tales-of-japan-28-japanese-folk-tales-with-cultural](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/452931753-folk-tales-of-japan-28-japanese-folk-tales-with-cultural) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-10-13*