✳︎Book Title: Japanese Humor (JAPANISCHER HUMOR) ✳︎Author: G. Wagner ✳︎Translator: Yokichi Takayama ✳︎Publisher: Yuzankaku ✳︎Pages: 246p / 226 illustrations ✳︎Size: 18 x 20 cm ✳︎Published: August 15, 1958 ✳︎Binding: Velour cloth: Ishifuku Shoten Co., Ltd. ✳︎Japanese Paper: Zenrindo Shimizu ✳︎Condition: Spine shows age-related discoloration. 《Table of Contents》 (Summary) Preface Chapter 1: The Seven Lucky Gods Chapter 2: Gods Chapter 3: Tengu and Raijin (Thunder God) Chapter 4: Yokai (Supernatural Creatures) and Strange Beings Chapter 5: Humans and Animals Chapter 6: Foxes, Tanuki (Raccoon Dogs), Snakes, and Rabbits Chapter 7: Architecture and Dwellings Chapter 8: The Appearance of the Japanese Chapter 9: Rituals and Frogs Chapter 10: Caricature Human Characters Chapter 11: Sake, Tea Ceremony Banquets Chapter 12: The Life of Play Chapter 13: Customs and Performing Arts Chapter 14: Newspapers and Communications At the end This book is a rare document that discusses Japanese culture, customs, myths, and society from the perspective of humor. It is not merely a study of laughter, but rather, it is characterized by its insightful and sharp examination of the Japanese spirit and worldview of the time, from the detached perspective of a foreigner, going deeper than even the Japanese themselves. As can be seen from the table of contents, the content is extremely wide-ranging. • Myths and Legends: Examines deities and supernatural beings such as the "Seven Lucky Gods," "Oni (Demons)," and "Tengu" (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4). • Customs and Art: Addresses abstract concepts, designs, and the psychology of the Japanese at the time, such as "Mirrors and Souls," "The Aesthetics of Decoration," and "The Realm of Mystery" (Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 7). • Society and Life: Captures the lives and entertainment of the common people, and the changes towards modernity ("Romanticism"), such as "The World of Play," "The World of Stories," and "Performing Arts and Music" (Chapter 11, Chapter 8, Chapter 13). In particular, the numerous illustrations, such as Ukiyo-e and Yokai caricatures, included in the endpapers and throughout the text are a major attraction of this book. Illustrations depicting yokai and comical scenes, such as the three-eyed creatures, rokurokubi (long-necked women), Tengu and Tenjin (heavenly beings), and concerts in the thunder room, visually convey the essence of humor. The original work was published in Leipzig, Germany in 1901, and Kurt Netto, who came to Japan during the Meiji era and was in charge of the mining and metallurgy course at the University of Tokyo, wrote the preface. #Shigeru Mizuki #Hiroshi Aramata #Otsu-e #SevenLuckyGods #GoodLuckCharms #FolkBeliefs #LafcadioHearn Oni Jizo Enma Hell Paintings Fujin Raijin (Wind God and Thunder God) Transformation Curse Customs Kintaro Momotaro Ten-tei (Emperor of Heaven) Ryuo (Dragon King) Tengu Tanuki Bake-neko (Monster Cat) Nio (Guardian Deities) Ghosts Kappa Maneki-neko (Beckoning Cat) Kitsune no Yomeiri (Fox Wedding)