{"product_id":"japanese-folk-lore-kami-akira-vale-9781970565577","title":"Japanese Folk Lore \u0026 Kami Traditions: Sacred Spirits, Ancestral Beliefs, and Cultural Practices Rooted in Japanese Heritage","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSacred Spirits, Ancestral Beliefs, and Cultural Practices Rooted in Japanese Heritage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt dawn in a quiet neighborhood, a doorway is swept. Water is poured. A rope of twisted straw marks a threshold where the ordinary pauses and something unseen is quietly acknowledged. In Japan, spirituality has never been confined to temples alone-it lives in gestures, seasons, stories, and the land itself.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Folk Lore \u0026amp; Kami Traditions\u003c\/strong\u003e is an immersive exploration of Japan's living spiritual landscape, where mountains listen, ancestors remain present, and everyday actions carry sacred meaning. Rather than presenting Shinto and folklore as distant belief systems, this book reveals them as relational practices-ways of noticing, caring, and belonging shaped by place, memory, and community.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlending anthropology, folklore, and narrative storytelling, the book guides readers through: \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe meaning of \u003cem\u003ekami\u003c\/em\u003e as presence rather than doctrine\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSacred landscapes-mountains, rivers, trees, and stones-as living participants in daily life\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHousehold altars, ancestral remembrance, and seasonal rhythms\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFolktales as cultural memory systems that encode ethics and survival\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFestivals, processions, symbols, and material markers of the sacred\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSyncretism between Shinto, Buddhism, and local practice\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegional traditions and modern adaptations of ancient beliefs\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWritten with warmth, clarity, and deep respect, this is not a how-to ritual manual nor a romanticized overview. Instead, it offers readers a thoughtful framework for understanding Japanese folk spirituality on its own terms-without appropriation, oversimplification, or exoticism.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhether you are a student of culture, a reader drawn to mythology and folklore, a traveler seeking deeper context, or simply curious about how meaning is woven into everyday life, \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Folk Lore \u0026amp; Kami Traditions\u003c\/strong\u003e invites you to slow down, listen closely, and step gently across a threshold into a world where spirit and daily life are inseparable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Akira Vale\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1970565578\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781970565577\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Publishdrive\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/28\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 178\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.54lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.38d","brand":"Akira Vale","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48137288515839,"sku":"9781970565577","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_069078cf-390b-4a58-bfbc-2df0745921be.jpg?v=1770167838","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/japanese-folk-lore-kami-akira-vale-9781970565577","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}