The same phenomenon has been observed, of course, in the similarity of traditional myths and legends from different eras and cultures, first noted in the West in the anthropological studies of Sir James Frazer. One of the most interesting aspects of these “true” stories is that, although they often deal with modern situations and involve the latest technology, they are based on motifs that can be traced back to other cultures and even back to ancient myths and legends. These are told, usually in informal settings, such as parties, as “really really true” stories of events that were reported in the media or actually happened to a “friend of a friend”. They have recognised and identified certain types of stories in oral circulation throughout the world which they have named “urban legends”. The assumption, then, is that people just don’t sit down and tell each other stories any more. Some, including me, even belong to organisations like the College of Storytellers, getting together infrequently to preserve what we think of as another doomed, quaint activity of the past. Most other people seem to share this belief, particularly those who see the trend as one of the evils of modern life, and who blame this deplorable situation on the advent of various electronic media. Urban Legends and the Japanese Tale A study of common characteristics and motifs I have always assumed that oral traditions of story-telling are in decline world-wide, and that they have virtually disappeared from industrialised societies. He is currently teaching European and Far-Eastern languages in a secondary school in England, and plays semi-professional Flamenco guitar.
He has worked for the Japanese government and as a company director in Tokyo, London and New York. THE AUTHOR David Schaefer graduated, cum laude, in Japanese literature from Columbia University, New York. The original hard copy edition: ISSN 0306 1906 – ISBN 0 904674 19 3 – Published 1990 may be purchased from the address given above, or on the ICR website, Opinions expressed in monographs published by the Institute for Cultural Research are to be regarded as those of the authors.
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