Japanese mythology offers a fascinating lens from which to gaze upon the natural world. Through tales of heroic samurai, creepy vengeful ghosts, and deities that wield the mighty powers of nature, these stories and mythical figures emphasize the importance of humans living harmoniously with their surroundings.

It is often said that in order to understand a country's culture and history, one needs to simply look at the stories they tell about the world around them. By learning about different kami and yokai, by examining the role both Shintoism and Buddhism have played in the shaping of myths, and by simply reading folktales and ghost stories, one can gain an appreciation for modern Japanese society.

While it would be impossible to gather all the different Japanese myths with all their local variations into a single book, this introductory guide provides the interested reader with a nice, if somewhat modest, collection of stories to get them started on this fantastical journey.

Some of the topics you'll discover by reading this book include:

• The mythical creation of Japan
• The legendary origins of Japan's imperial family
• Interesting facts about the different kami and yokai
• The fascinating intersection between Shintoism and Buddhism in Japanese mythology
• Chilling Japanese ghost stories
• Heroic tales about a pearl diver and a man born from a peach
• A story about literal star-crossed lovers that inspired the Tanabata festival, which is celebrated to this very day
• And much more!