The Writings on Japan by Lafcadio Hearn: Vol 2. "...an unpretentious collection of folklore stories, anecdotes and essays which provide a warm, understandable glimpse of Japan and things Japanese" The Japan Times Lafacadio Hearn was the son of Greek and British parents. He arrived in Japan in 1890, became a Japanese citizen, and died in Tokyo in 1904. First published in 1901, this anthology offers a window onto Japanese culture and folklore. It features stories and folklore, such as the popular knowledge that accumulated around the emblematic dragon-fly (one of the old names of Japan is Akitshushima, meaning 'The Island of the Dragon-fly'), and Buddhist names of plants and animals. There is a selection of Japanese children's songs, illustrated with line drawings. The book includes a mixture of various anecdotes and stories ranging from a first-hand account of a shipwreck, to an experience of a Japanese hospital.