Furusato Saisei: Nippon no Mukashibanashi

Like in any culture, Japanese kids grow up listening to the stories repeatedly told by their parents and grandparents. The boy born from a peach; the princess from the moon who is discovered inside a bamboo; the old man who can make a dead cherry tree blossom, etc. These short stories that teach kids to see both the dark and bright sides of life have passed traditional moral values from generation to generation.

Each half-hour episode of Folktales from Japan consists of three self-contained stories, well-known and unknown, with a special focus on heartwarming stories that originate from Tohoku, the northern region heavily touched by the earthquake of 2011. May this program help cheer up earthquake victims and cast a light of hope for them?

(Source: Crunchyroll)

Narrator, Male Main

Emoto, Akira Japanese

Narrator, Female Main

Matsukane, Yoneko Japanese

Suzuki, Takuo Director

Numata, Shinnosuke Sound Director

Harada, Hiroshi Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation, Background Art

Masuda, Toshihiko Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation

Reviews

Mar 16, 2024

LemonadeSamurai

Recommended

Preliminary (30/258 eps)

Mukashi mukashi..

As a person who loves Japanese history and mythology this hits all the right notes for me.

Folktales from Japan is what the name implies, it's a show aimed at children that retells folk tales..from Japan.

Each episode is divided into 3 segments or stories. Sometimes 2 but usually 3.

Each story uses a different art style. Some look similar but they're almost always different.

... The art styles range from striking to bizarre.

Sound wise the show uses the same music thoughout and the voices are provided by the same cast (sometimes the narrator). It's easy to learn some Japanese from the show as it uses repetition since its aimed at children.

The stories involve Azuchi (1400s) and Edo period (1500s-1600s) Japan usually sometimes even earlier. Usually involving poor peasants or naughty children.

The stories range from well known and popular such as Urashima Taro to obscure such as the rat in the city.

They almost always contain a moral and happy ending.

The narrators vary between an old man and a woman.

The stories are always PG as they're aimed at children but there are demons and dark elements like cannibalism involved. Nothing graphic but suggested.

As Japan is very Buddhist, Buddhism as well as Shintoism is incorporated into the stories often.

If you enjoy Japanese culture and history and want something light but also interesting

I recommend it. However there is no English dub available

So if you can't read or dislike it then you're out of luck.

And once again, this IS aimed at children so don't expect any violence or anything graphic.

It's a cute and charming series that I suggest you watch if you're interested in Japanese folklore or mythology.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Apr 4, 2012

nothereanymore

Recommended

Preliminary (1/258 eps)

If like to learn about other culture tales, and in this case Japanese Folktales, you will probably enjoy this show.

The first thing you must have in mind is that the target public of this show is children. So if are expecting for something very elaborated that's not your show. With that in mind, let's go to the review.

The tales are like Aesop's fables, with a strong allegoric and moral background. But at the same time are simple. This simplicity is reinforced by the way the story is told, with clear and direct language since the narrator to characters.

The sound goes well with the animation, ... and if you decide just to listen to it you can 'see' what is going on. Both OP and ED are kind of sad and doesn't match with the show.

The art is also simple and clearly directed to children, but it is still beautiful and full of very well selected colors. Each character has a different design. The animation is economic, but fits the purposes of the show.

If you like folktales and learn about Japanese culture you will enjoy very much watching Furusato. And even this childish style of the whole series will seem very appropriate to you.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Apr 1, 2012

purpletrees

Recommended

Preliminary (1/258 eps)

This has the feel of a show for young children. Similar to an adaptation of Aesop's fables for westerners, this anime tells traditional Japanese stories that have a strong moral aspect.

The art is unusual and reminds me of My Neighbours the Yamadas (Studio Ghibli). The sound also emphasises the children's show aspect with 'noises' for walking and so forth. The opening and ending songs are sugary and nothing special.

Each episode consists of two or three tales and I think that character development is good for such a short delivery time. These are excellent stories told by a narrator in the style of bed-time story, ... so sometimes the animation can feel unnecessary.

All that said, this anime is very enjoyable and I'm sure that many of these tales are referenced in other anime and manga. It is interesting to draw cultural comparisons between various culture's moral tales, and I am looking forward to learning more, despite the fact that this is a show for young children.

PS:
Excellent if you are learning Japanese, as the language seems much simpler.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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