Changes

Yanagita established in 1928 a journal called ''Tabi to densetsu'' (旅と伝説, "Travels and Legends"),  in which he outlined instructions to readers for traveling to countryside locations and collecting tales.  Shortly after this, he published a guidebook for the same purposes, encouraging even more folktale submissions.  After these early attempts at gathering tales, greater interest arose in his works, and through the sponsorship of the Japan Broadcasting Association, he and his students and colleagues such as Seki Keigo embarked on larger hunts for information, using as sources direct conversations with people like "rice farmers, deep-sea fishermen, and their wives" from "remote villages" (Seki viii).  By 1935, several independent societies and institutes had formed with the goal of organizing similar collection efforts, most of which looked to Yanagita Kunio as their inspiration and authority.  One of these was the Minzokugaku Kenkyûjo, or Institute for the Study of Japanese Folklore, which Yanagita himself established.  While a great amount of material was collected by Yanagita's staff and students, he mostly limited the organization and analysis of these materials to himself in the early years (Mori 101).

Yanagita established in 1928 a journal called ''Tabi to densetsu'' (旅と伝説, "Travels and Legends"),  in which he outlined instructions to readers for traveling to countryside locations and collecting tales.  Shortly after this, he published a guidebook for the same purposes, encouraging even more folktale submissions.  After these early attempts at gathering tales, greater interest arose in his works, and through the sponsorship of the Japan Broadcasting Association, he and his students and colleagues such as Seki Keigo embarked on larger hunts for information, using as sources direct conversations with people like "rice farmers, deep-sea fishermen, and their wives" from "remote villages" (Seki viii).  By 1935, several independent societies and institutes had formed with the goal of organizing similar collection efforts, most of which looked to Yanagita Kunio as their inspiration and authority.  One of these was the Minzokugaku Kenkyûjo, or Institute for the Study of Japanese Folklore, which Yanagita himself established.  While a great amount of material was collected by Yanagita's staff and students, he mostly limited the organization and analysis of these materials to himself in the early years (Mori 101).

==Yanagita and Okinawa==

==Later Years==

Yanagita left his government position in 1920, and later that year traveled to Kyushu and Okinawa. In January 1921, he traveled around various parts of [[Okinawa prefecture]], and met with many of the fathers of Okinawan Studies, including [[Ifa Fuyu|Ifa Fuyû]], [[Higa Shuncho|Higa Shunchô]], [[Kishaba Eijun]], and [[Shimabukuro Genichiro|Shimabukuro Gen'ichirô]]. Following his return to the capital, he published articles about Okinawa in the ''[[Asahi Shimbun]]'', and gave a number of lectures. A lecture meeting held on April 21, called ''Nantô danwakai'' ("Southern Islands Conversation Meeting"), is of particular significance, as a great many notable scholars of the time were in attendance, including Kishaba Eijun and [[Orikuchi Shinobu]].<ref>Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 9-10.</ref>

Yanagita left his government position in 1920, and later that year traveled to Kyushu and Okinawa. In January 1921, he traveled around various parts of [[Okinawa prefecture]], and met with many of the fathers of Okinawan Studies, including [[Ifa Fuyu|Ifa Fuyû]], [[Higa Shuncho|Higa Shunchô]], [[Kishaba Eijun]], and [[Shimabukuro Genichiro|Shimabukuro Gen'ichirô]]. Following his return to the capital, he published articles about Okinawa in the ''[[Asahi Shimbun]]'', and gave a number of lectures. A lecture meeting held on April 21, called ''Nantô danwakai'' ("Southern Islands Conversation Meeting"), is of particular significance, as a great many notable scholars of the time were in attendance, including Kishaba Eijun and [[Orikuchi Shinobu]].<ref name=yokoyama>Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 9-10.</ref>

In May 1921, Yanagita took up a job with the Mandate Council (of which Japan was a member) at the League of Nations headquarters in Switzerland. Two years later, when he learned while in London of Tokyo's destruction in the Great Kantô Earthquake, he rushed home. Seeing the destruction, he was inspired to leave his League of Nations job and to devote himself more exclusively to scholarship. That December, he opened a Minzokugaku Symposium or Colloquium at his home. Scholars of Okinawan Studies, along with many others, regularly attended these gatherings. Along with Orikuchi, Yanagita began publishing essays describing Okinawa as representative of Japan's traditional past, or origins, and asserting that the study of Okinawan folklore could reveal much about Japan's history as well. Some of his essays, along with Orikuchi's, focused in particular on the notion that [[Ryukyuan religion]] represented an earlier or original form of [[Shinto]], indicative of just what ancient Japanese faith once was.<ref name=yokoyama/>

In May 1921, Yanagita took up a job with the Mandate Council (of which Japan was a member) at the League of Nations headquarters in Switzerland. Two years later, when he learned while in London of Tokyo's destruction in the Great Kantô Earthquake, he rushed home. Seeing the destruction, he was inspired to leave his League of Nations job and to devote himself more exclusively to scholarship. That December, he opened a Minzokugaku Symposium or Colloquium at his home. Scholars of Okinawan Studies, along with many others, regularly attended these gatherings. Along with Orikuchi, Yanagita began publishing essays describing Okinawa as representative of Japan's traditional past, or origins, and asserting that the study of Okinawan folklore could reveal much about Japan's history as well.<ref name=yokoyama/>

Yanagita later took a position as an editor at the ''Asahi shinbun'' newspaper.  During this time he criticized not only the fascism of Italy but also the militaristic and totalitarian feelings that were rising within his own country.  He maintained that these values and morals of the imperial government were not the same as those of the common man.  It can be said that in general, while Yanagita made a point of declaring his faith in the imperial system, he disagreed with many of the political and philosophical trends of the age.  But any resistance he showed was carefully tempered, and he never put himself in a position that would endanger his career or livelihood.  After retiring from the newspaper, he spoke no more about politics (Mori 104).   

Yanagita later took a position as an editor at the ''Asahi shinbun'' newspaper.  During this time he criticized not only the fascism of Italy but also the militaristic and totalitarian feelings that were rising within his own country.  He maintained that these values and morals of the imperial government were not the same as those of the common man.  It can be said that in general, while Yanagita made a point of declaring his faith in the imperial system, he disagreed with many of the political and philosophical trends of the age.  But any resistance he showed was carefully tempered, and he never put himself in a position that would endanger his career or livelihood.  After retiring from the newspaper, he spoke no more about politics (Mori 104).