# Where can I read about Japanese folklore?



## TunS

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if someone could tell me if the following is written in correct Japanese:

_どこで、日本の民間伝承について読むことができますか？
Where can I read about Japanese folklore? _

Oh, if unnatural could you please share with me a better alternative? I'm trying to build the confidence (in asking questions) to chat to the Japanese girl in my class. 

Thanks for reading.


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## mikun

Hi, 
I use '昔話' for old traditional local story told from mother to child.  My trial is,
日本の昔話が載っている本ないかな。
I hope other peoples post.


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## TunS

mikun said:


> Hi,
> I use '昔話' for old traditional local story told from mother to child.  My trial is,
> 日本の昔話が載っている本ないかな。
> I hope other peoples post.



Hi Mikun-san,

Thanks for your suggestion, but can I ask you what does 載る mean in this case? I'm aware that it means "to ride in/get on", however I doubt that meaning is exercised here!


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## lrosa

As mikun suggested, I think it is better to start your sentence with the part that deals with "about Japanese folklore". The most natural sentence order for this kind of question in Japanese is "about Japanese folklore - where - I can read?"

Something like 日本の昔話についてはどこで読めるのでしょうか? This is the kind of sentence that would be used if you were asking the question to someone else in a polite situation; however, if you were merely wondering to yourself where you might be able to read about Japanese folklore, you might use the sentence-ending かな, as mikun suggested, instead of でしょうか.


Edit: By the way, 載る is a verb that means "to be in (a book/newspaper/etc...)". Mikun's sentence translates to "I wonder if there are any books that contain Japanese folk stories..."


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## TunS

lrosa said:


> As mikun suggested, I think it is better to start your sentence with the part that deals with "about Japanese folklore". The most natural sentence order for this kind of question in Japanese is "about Japanese folklore - where - I can read?"



Hello Lrosa,

Ahh interesting, I still have a little difficulty with word order, I'll keep that in mind.



lrosa said:


> Something like 日本の昔話についてはどこで読めるのでしょうか? This is the kind of sentence that would be used if you were asking the question to someone else in a polite situation; however, if you were merely wondering to yourself where you might be able to read about Japanese folklore, you might use the sentence-ending かな, as mikun suggested, instead of でしょうか.
> 
> 
> Edit: By the way, 載る is a verb that means "to be in (a book/newspaper/etc...)". Mikun's sentence translates to "I wonder if there are any books that contain Japanese folk stories..."



Thanks for clarifying this too, sometimes the Kanji can throw me off a little.


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## Flaminius

lrosa said:


> Something like 日本の昔話についてはどこで読めるのでしょうか?


Unfortunately, *Lrosa*, I prefer *mikun*'s translation to yours because it is rather too literal to convey the true meaning of the English sentence.

A question like "Where can I read about Japanese folklore?" would be most likely answered by book titles such as: _Mom's Bedtime Old Japanese Stories_, _Best 50 Japanese Tales_.  A literal Japanese translation would elicit answers such as, "Try kids' section of the library" or "Well I don't know, but maybe treated in works by folkloristics researchers?"

As I see the English sentence (oh, please be very scrutinising and correct me if where I am mistaken), I find two words with important implications.

Where
In this sentence, _where_ is not a reference to a physical place such as a building filled with books but quite equal to "in what books".  In contrast Japanese どこで is either a physical place or an organisation such as a company:
このジーンズ、どこで売ってるの?　マークスアンドスペンサーだよ。

About
I imagine that "read about folklore" is not so different from "read folklore."  In Japanese, について definitely makes a difference.  昔話の本 is a collection of texts that typically begin with "Once upon a time...." whereas 昔話についての本 is a discussion about folklores (eg, Dispute Settlement Practises in Okayama Evidenced in Folklores).


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## wathavy

Only about the word 'folklore', by looking at the dictionary here.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/folklore
I prefer the original translation of 民間伝承 than 昔話.
昔話 let me imagine of more like 'Old tales' than 'Folklore'.

Just my two yens.


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## lrosa

Flaminius said:


> Where
> In this sentence, _where_ is not a reference to a physical place such as a building filled with books but quite equal to "in what books". In contrast Japanese どこで is either a physical place or an organisation such as a company:
> このジーンズ、どこで売ってるの?　マークスアンドスペンサーだよ。
> 
> About
> I imagine that "read about folklore" is not so different from "read folklore." In Japanese, について definitely makes a difference. 昔話の本 is a collection of texts that typically begin with "Once upon a time...." whereas 昔話についての本 is a discussion about folklores (eg, Dispute Settlement Practises in Okayama Evidenced in Folklores).



Hi Flaminius. Your criticism is fair; however I _had _considered the issues in question. I was hesitant when writing どこで, as I was aware that there could be an implication of physical space; however, looking at the original English sentence, I felt that the meaning of it was too vague to allow me to correct Tun's initial translation of "where" as "どこで"

As for the phrase "about Japanese folklore", this in my eyes is equivalent to 昔話についての本. If the meaning of the English sentence is intended to be merely 昔話の本, then this is somewhat sloppy English (the alternative would be "Where can I read about  Japanese folk stories/folklore?").


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## TunS

Flaminius said:


> Where
> In this sentence, _where_ is not a reference to a physical place such as a building filled with books but quite equal to "in what books".  In contrast Japanese どこで is either a physical place or an organisation such as a company:
> このジーンズ、どこで売ってるの?　マークスアンドスペンサーだよ。



Hi Flaminius,

I was neither referring to a physical space nor a book, but a website. I never thought to explain it any further.



Flaminius said:


> About
> I imagine that "read about folklore" is not so different from "read folklore."  In Japanese, について definitely makes a difference.  昔話の本 is a collection of texts that typically begin with "Once upon a time...." whereas 昔話についての本 is a discussion about folklores (eg, Dispute Settlement Practises in Okayama Evidenced in Folklores).



Your second option is correct . I have already read a few texts and I am now currious to read about the writing style, era and if they were allegrories of this particular era. So did I correctly choose について?


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## TunS

lrosa said:


> If the meaning of the English sentence is intended to be merely 昔話の本, then this is somewhat sloppy English (the alternative would be "Where can I read about  Japanese folk stories/folklore?").



This is not the meaning I tried to portray. The English is not "sloppy", just misinterpreted. If I were searching for a book of tales, I would have said:

_Where can I find a book of/containing Japanese folklore?_


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## lrosa

TunS said:


> This is not the meaning I tried to portray. The English is not "sloppy", just misinterpreted. If I were searching for a book of tales, I would have said:
> 
> _Where can I find a book of/containing Japanese folklore?_



That's what I said  I meant that it would have been sloppy if the original sentence had been intended to refer to "books *of *Japanese folklore" as opposed to "books *about *Japanese folklore".


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## mikun

Hi, TunS,
Ahhh, I see,
If you want to study the origin, style, and other information of 'old traditional Japanese stories', there is a academic area of  those called  '民話'.  
I'l recommend you had better first go to '*柳田國男'* website, not your girlfriend.


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## Wishfull

Yes. I too like the word "民話". And 柳田國男　is famous.
Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn is famous, too, and we can read it on the web for free.


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## Flaminius

Hello posters,

May I remind you that the OP's intention is to translate the thread title but not to ask the question it is.


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## TunS

lrosa said:


> That's what I said  I meant that it would have been sloppy if the original sentence had been intended to refer to "books *of *Japanese folklore" as opposed to "books *about *Japanese folklore".



Ahh ok, my apologies for snapping at you.


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## TunS

mikun said:


> Hi, TunS,
> Ahhh, I see,
> If you want to study the origin, style, and other information of 'old traditional Japanese stories', there is a academic area of  those called  '民話'.
> I'l recommend you had better first go to '*柳田國男'* website, not your girlfriend.



Hi again Mikun,

Thanks for the information. Haha, I'm not going to ask her about Japanese folklore, I'm just trying to get some 'question asking' practice!


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## TunS

Wishfull said:


> Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn is famous, too, and we can read it on the web for free.



Hello Wishfull,

Thanks for the additional info, I'll google search it.


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## Flaminius

*Lrosa*, if my post contained any criticism, the original poster has already mentioned that it was misdirected (it should have been probably directed at me).  After learning what *TunS* meant by "where", I still don't think that a literal translation does too much good.  

It may be that I am hopelessly paper-oriented, but a website is not the first thing that comes to mind when I hear "where" or どこ (at least not in the context you have given).  I feel clarification is necessary.  A typical Japanese word for website is サイト (with a flat accent):
日本の民間伝承について知りたいんだけど、いいサイト知らない?

For a reference, here is a formal translation more appropriate in a written question:
日本の民間伝承についてのサイトを教えてください。


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## TunS

Flaminius said:


> *Lrosa*, if my post contained any criticism, the original poster has already mentioned that it was misdirected (it should have been probably directed at me).  After learning what *TunS* meant by "where", I still don't think that a literal translation does too much good.
> 
> It may be that I am hopelessly paper-oriented, but a website is not the first thing that comes to mind when I hear "where" or どこ (at least not in the context you have given).  I feel clarification is necessary.  A typical Japanese word for website is サイト (with a flat accent):
> 日本の民間伝承について知りたいんだけど、いいサイト知らない?
> 
> For a reference, here is a formal translation more appropriate in a written question:
> 日本の民間伝承についてのサイトを教えてください。



Hello Flaminius,

I apologise for causing a bit of a stir, all in all, the confusion came form me not providing any context; I've been using these forums long enough to know better.

On a lighter note, the examples you have given me are exactly what I'm looking for, thanks. I've yet to surpass literal translation.


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