Japanese Children's Literature In The Traditional Monsters

As the Japanese nations"original appearance", monster culture has a clear show in Japanese art, including childrens literature. The introduction defined the conception of Japanese traditional monsters and monster culture , and reviewed the research on Japanese traditional monster culture both at home andabroad .Furthermore,elaborated the relationship between monster culture and childrens literature at the macro level. The first Section of chapter I analyzed the formation and development of Japanese monster culture ,in terms of the following three aspects: Japan's natural environment, religious beliefs and the impact of China and India.In Section II ,Japanese traditional monsters are divided into six categories with the standard of the monster's shape and origin : inborn monsters ;semi-divined monsters; humanoid monster; monsters turned form plants, animals and goods; monsters derived form natural phenomena; soul, etc.When the traditional legend of monster appeared in the modern Japanese childrens literature, showing a roughly three states .First , keeping the original appearance of legends .following the basic requirements of childrens literatures , writers revised the monster legend slightly. Such as the fairy-tales of Ogawa Mimei and Miyoko Matsutani ,the picture books of Suekichi Akaba. Second, the writers of childrens literature do not follow the original appearance of legends, only take some important elements of the legend into their writing. Such as Naoko Awa,Kimiko Aman and Sato Akiko.Third, in children's literature ,the monster were completely pulled out of the traditional cultural context, showing completely different features , only monsters name or symbols are reserved. Such as Nankichi Niimi and Rieko Nakgawa's wtiting. Chapter II to chapter IV is a detailed explanation of the three states.In the fifth chapter, a comparative study was made. The first Section compared the similarities and differences of Japanese and Chinese traditional monster culture , and pointed that in Chinese children's literature , there was a rejection of monster culture. In the second section , took Peng Yi, Chen Danyan, Tang Tang's writing as examples to discuss the relationship between Chinese monster culture and childrens literature. In these children's literature , the image of the monster showing a vagueness because of the influence of foreign cultures.