The role of Yanagita’s folklore studies in historical research in Japan

Abstract

Yanagita Kunio is considered one of the leading representatives of Japanese cultural studies. This thinker, poet, and folklorist created in the twentieth century a new academic discipline that was to be Japan’s answer to Western hegemony in cultural studies. This article explores the relationship of Japanese folklore studies (Yanagita minzokugaku) with both anthropological and historical studies. The following part of the article examines Yanagita’s views on culture, history, the importance of folklore in historical research, and the role of Japanese scholars in the development of global cultural studies.