Changes

Soon after his adoption and marriage, he took a post at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce as a bureaucratic inspector, traveling to various regions in Japan, and eventually becoming chief secretary of the Upper House.  During this brief career Yanagita had been developing his attitudes and ideas concerning the common folk of Japan, and gradually these interests eclipsed in his mind the importance of agriculture, as it became clear that his ideas on the latter subject were gaining little support.   

Soon after his adoption and marriage, he took a post at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce as a bureaucratic inspector, traveling to various regions in Japan, and eventually becoming chief secretary of the Upper House.  During this brief career Yanagita had been developing his attitudes and ideas concerning the common folk of Japan, and gradually these interests eclipsed in his mind the importance of agriculture, as it became clear that his ideas on the latter subject were gaining little support.   

Yanagita eventually found a position in the legislative bureau of the Japanese government, and in his free time traveled all around the country collecting folklore.  His collections were not limited to folktales and legends, but also to folk beliefs and customs, which he divided into three categories: (Mori 92)

Yanagita eventually found a position in the legislative bureau of the Japanese government, and in his free time traveled all around the country collecting folklore.  His collections were not limited to folktales and legends, but also to folk beliefs and customs, which he divided into three categories:<ref>Mori, 92.</ref>

* tangible culture

* tangible culture

==Minzokugaku==

==Minzokugaku==

[[Image:Tabi_to_densetsu.jpg|thumb|110px|An issue of ''Tabi to densetsu'', "Travels and Legends".]]While Yanagita was not the first to study folk tales and beliefs, his work reshaped the approach to the field that largely still exists today.  He believed that folklore and ethnology (民俗学 and 民族学, both ''minzokugaku'') were interesting and worthy of study in and of themselves, rather than for the purposes of their eradication or of their dissection for use in other fields such as psychology.  His views dictated that by studying the strange, mysterious and fantastic elements of folklore, one could better understand the mindset and character of the everyday Japanese person of antiquity (and, presumably, of today); or in his own words, "the feelings of ordinary people in the past [''mukashi no bonjin no kokoromochi'']". (Figal 113)  In the course of his studies, he coined the word ''jômin'' (常民, "continuing man") to describe the sort of common folk that were the object of his interest.  He felt that history in general was too concerned with broad strokes and trends -- "the ruling class and a number of heroes" -- , and not enough with the ordinary people.  He also believed that the imagination of the Japanese folk was unrivaled in the world. (Mori 91)  Modern folklorists believe that some of his views were flawed for various reasons, such as his assumption that there was an unchanging, universal character common to all Japanese in all regions and all times.  Further criticism of Yanagita’s work stems from the suggestion that his ideas were merely subjective responses to the material he had studied.  Regardless, Yanagita was the first to see such cultural value in the field of folk studies, and the present form of the field owes its current shape to his work.   

[[Image:Tabi_to_densetsu.jpg|thumb|110px|An issue of ''Tabi to densetsu'', "Travels and Legends".]]While Yanagita was not the first to study folk tales and beliefs, his work reshaped the approach to the field that largely still exists today.  He believed that folklore and ethnology (民俗学 and 民族学, both ''minzokugaku'') were interesting and worthy of study in and of themselves, rather than for the purposes of their eradication or of their dissection for use in other fields such as psychology.  His views dictated that by studying the strange, mysterious and fantastic elements of folklore, one could better understand the mindset and character of the everyday Japanese person of antiquity (and, presumably, of today); or in his own words, "the feelings of ordinary people in the past [''mukashi no bonjin no kokoromochi'']".<ref>Figal 113.</ref> In the course of his studies, he coined the word ''jômin'' (常民, "continuing man") to describe the sort of common folk that were the object of his interest.  He felt that history in general was too concerned with broad strokes and trends -- "the ruling class and a number of heroes" -- , and not enough with the ordinary people.  He also believed that the imagination of the Japanese folk was unrivaled in the world.<ref>Mori, 91.</ref> Modern folklorists believe that some of his views were flawed for various reasons, such as his assumption that there was an unchanging, universal character common to all Japanese in all regions and all times.  Further criticism of Yanagita’s work stems from the suggestion that his ideas were merely subjective responses to the material he had studied.  Regardless, Yanagita was the first to see such cultural value in the field of folk studies, and the present form of the field owes its current shape to his work.   

The main importance of folk studies to Yanagita was uncovering the history of Japanese faith (Mori 93). The means for him and his followers toward investigating these and other matters of folk belief were not through examination of historical documents and texts, but through firsthand collection of folktales and descriptions of customs and beliefs as told to him and others orally.   

The main importance of folk studies to Yanagita was uncovering the history of Japanese faith.<ref>Mori, 93.</ref> The means for him and his followers toward investigating these and other matters of folk belief were not through examination of historical documents and texts, but through firsthand collection of folktales and descriptions of customs and beliefs as told to him and others orally.   

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."<ref>Seki, viii.</ref> 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.<ref>Mori 101.</ref>

==Later Years==

==Later Years==

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. 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/>

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.</ref>Mori, 104.</ref>  

Throughout his later life, Yanagita remained for the most part somewhat active in folk studies, and in his lifetime he published a wealth of books on many different subjects within the field, which have been collected in Japan in a 36-volume set called ''Teihon Yanagita Kunio shû'' ("Standard Collection of the Works of Yanagita Kunio").  The vast majority of his work, regrettably, has never been translated into English.  Yanagita Kunio died in 1962, aged 88.

Throughout his later life, Yanagita remained for the most part somewhat active in folk studies, and in his lifetime he published a wealth of books on many different subjects within the field, which have been collected in Japan in a 36-volume set called ''Teihon Yanagita Kunio shû'' ("Standard Collection of the Works of Yanagita Kunio").  The vast majority of his work, regrettably, has never been translated into English.  Yanagita Kunio died in 1962, aged 88.