Japanese Tales (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)

Name: Japanese Tales (The Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library)
Price: 13.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (244 reviews)
Author: Royall Tyler

by Royall Tyler

Nonfiction Classics

4.6 (244)

4.6 stars from 244 reviews

340 pages~5.7 hr readPublished by Pantheon BooksPublished 1987-01-01

$13.99Near peak price

Last checked: May 22, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $14.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 – $14.99

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Perfect for you if...

You love folklore collections that work as genuine windows into how people actually thought and lived, not sanitised retellings.
You appreciate stories that mix the sacred, the bawdy, and the comedic without apology or modern moralising.
You're drawn to anthologies you can dip into, where each tale stands alone but together they build a complete cultural landscape.

Maybe not for you if...

You want a single narrative arc or character development across the book. These are standalone tales, not a novel.
You prefer stories polished for contemporary sensibilities. Medieval Japanese humour, sex jokes, and supernatural violence are unvarnished here.
You're looking for illustrated children's stories. This is scholarly translation work with academic depth.

About this book

This collection presents 220 tales from medieval Japan, offering insight into a distant historical world. The stories feature saints, scoundrels, ghosts, magical healers, deities, and demons, and include miracles, visions of hell, jokes, fables, and legends that reflect Japanese civilization. The tales balance lyrical and dramatic elements alongside ribald and profound moments, providing a window into a culture no longer in existence. The volume includes black-and-white illustrations throughout and is part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library series.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $14.99

Price has dropped 7 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 356 days. Typically stays discounted for 9 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #12K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Sales have softened 21% recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.6★ from 244 reviews

Gaining approximately 1 new review per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.6 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book goes on sale roughly every 355 days. Next drop estimated in about 49 weeks. Typical discount: 87% off.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.