Description
THE FANTASTIC WORLD IN JAPANESE LITERATURE
Book Summary
This work offers an exhaustive analysis of the supernatural universe that inhabits Japanese literature, from its roots in Shintoism to the influences of Chinese, Hindu, and Western traditions. The author, Cora Requena Hidalgo, guides the reader on a scholarly journey through the world of the kami, demons, spirits, and monsters that populate Japan's classical and modern tales. An essential book for understanding how these fantastic creatures have shaped not only literature but also contemporary film, manga, and anime.
What is it about?
The book delves into the Japanese imagination to explore the vast population of supernatural beings that inhabit it. Starting from the Shinto worldview, where everyday reality is home to the kami (divinities of nature, ancestors, or professions), the author maps out how these beliefs have merged with elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and other traditions. Throughout its pages, the different categories of creatures are analyzed in detail: from yokai and oni to vengeful ghosts (yurei), examining their origin, evolution, and role in Japanese narrative. The work is not limited to a catalog of beings, but rather contextualizes them within Japan's cultural and literary history, showing how these fantastic elements have survived and reinvented themselves in the modern era.
Main themes
- Shintoism and the conception of the kami as the foundation of the Japanese fantastic imagination.
- Classification and analysis of supernatural creatures: yokai, oni, tengu, kappa, yurei, among others.
- The influence of Chinese, Hindu, and Western traditions on Japanese mythology.
- The survival of the fantastic in classical literature and its transition to manga, anime, and film.
- The narrative and symbolic function of supernatural beings in Japanese culture.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in Japanese culture in a broad sense, especially those fascinated by its folklore, mythology, and literary traditions. It will also be of great value to students and professionals of comparative literature, art history, or cultural studies, as well as to fans of manga, anime, and Japanese horror or fantasy cinema who wish to understand the deep roots of the stories they consume.
What this book contributes
- A complete and rigorous guide to identifying and understanding the origins of Japan's most iconic fantastic creatures.
- A historical and religious context that explains how Shintoism and other currents have shaped a unique imagery.
- The keys to appreciating the continuity between classical literature and contemporary cultural expressions such as manga and anime.
- A deep analysis that goes beyond a simple catalog of monsters, exploring their cultural and narrative significance.
Technical specifications
- Author: REQUENA HIDALGO, CORA
- Publisher: SATORI EDICIONES C.B.
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: LITERATURE: HISTORY AND CRITICISM, FANTASY, MYTHS AND LEGENDS NARRATED AS FICTION
- Collection: LITERATURE
- Publication date: May 2023
- Number of pages: 228
- Weight: 671 g
Editorial review
This is a reference work for those wishing to seriously delve into the rich and complex universe of the Japanese fantastic. The author combines academic rigor with a clear and accessible presentation, making it a useful read for both the specialist and the curious reader. Its approach, which connects ancestral beliefs with current popular culture, offers an integrative perspective that enriches the understanding of any Japanese artistic manifestation. A solid work that fills an important gap in the bibliography in Spanish on Japanese mythology.