The Japanese word ​​datsuzoku belongs to that family of nouns which in other languages ​​do not have a precise corresponding translation. This term means escape from one's daily routine , therefore a temporary departure from the actions that are carried out almost mechanically and that occupy the space of our days. Here, what is a book if not a datsuzoku , a beautiful and unrepeatable moment of escape that breaks the boredom of everyday life?
The selected fairy tales, translated by Valentina Avallone, are part of an original volume larger called Green Willow and other Japanese Faiy Tales from 1910, edited by Grace James; a work that seeks to summarize in itself almost all of the knowledge relating to Japanese mythology, oral and written, following a long work of research, comparison and translation. Below is the author's introductory note to the volume:
"These stories and legends come from many sources. Some of them have been taken from Ko-ji-ki or The Record of Ancient Matters , a work that fully collects everything that belongs to Japanese mythology. Many of them have been handed down orally as they are the result of childhood memories, originally heard from the lips of a schoolmate or a nurse; others have been the subject of performances staged in Japanese theaters. "