It is really interesting to study japanese folklore.
Do you know where the best place (university in Japan) to study japanese folklore in Master degree? actually I want to research about the comparision between Japanese folktale (fable) and Javanese folktale.

I really thank if you pleased to answer my question. yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

I enjoyed your article on Yanagita’s folklore studies. My experience in Japan in the 1970s confirms much of what you have written. All of the discipline oriented scholars at that time tried to build on Yanagita’s work, but could not bring themselves to share his lack of scholarly discipline. Wakamori Taro had his own folklore/history group at Kyoikudai. Hori Ichiro, who was married to one of Yanagita’s daughters, tried to put Buddhism into Yanagita studies,but had his own position in religious studies at Tokyo University. Tsurumi Kazuko, close to the Yanagita family, was a tough minded sociologist, as was Kamishima Jiro. At Seijo University, there were Yanagita’s close associates mostly interested in tales and folk literature. Even Hasikawa Bunzo wanted to bring tough minded political analysis to Yanagita studies. Some leftists liked Yanagita’s anti-establishment positions, but resented his lack of attention to the abuse of imperial family and his lack of attention to sex and gender issues. I met with all of these people in those days, but none of them interacted with each other — they all had their own agendas. The only focal point of their interest in Yanagita was his writings — and they all turned to different texts to fit their own interests. Yanagita’s writings and personal ties to people were like a big puzzle that they all tried to unravel — unsuccessefully. Yanagita’s works were based on personal discussions and not well documented. He made it impossible for people to know what he really thought.

Good luck with your research. Ron