Forests as Seen by Yanagita Kunio: His Contribution to a Contemporary Ecological Idea

Abstract

Yanagita Kunio (1875-1962), one of the most representative of Japanese folklorists, sees the different aspects of forests as a composite whole comprising customs, legends and way of life of the inhabitants. Yanagita looks at this in detail, wishing to understand how the forest is related to the life and customs of the people living there, an attitude that could be called an understanding from within. Given the complexity of the issue of the earth's ecology, Yanagita suggests adopting the same attitude.