The Land of Eternity and an Afterword to Ancient Studies

A paper treasure ship beneath a sleeping place, a visitor knocking at the door, and the waves of a distant island become clues to ancient belief in Orikuchi Shinobu’s searching account of the Land of Eternity. He follows New Year’s customs and southern island traditions into ideas of ancestors, divine visitors, wealth, and long life.

The accompanying afterword takes a more personal turn. Written around his eldest brother’s wake, it recalls the family support that made his work possible, his debt to Yanagita Kunio, and his effort to rebuild the study of Japanese antiquity. Self-doubt sits beside confidence as he examines memory, field experience, comparison, language, and the origins of performance.

Together, these two complete essays show the folklorist’s intellectual ambition and vulnerability. The first was published in April 1925; the afterword’s supplied parent text is dated 1930, while its first publication remains unspecified.