From Net Memes to B-Class Gourmet, It Was All "Folklore"! "It's So Interesting You Won't Be Able to Sleep: Illustrated Folklore" Released March 24!

Nihon Bungeisha (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) has released a new book, "It's So Interesting You Won't Be Able to Sleep: Illustrated Folklore" (Supervised by Kuniaki Shimamura), which explains "folklore," a topic gaining attention as a key to understanding the depths of modern society, with abundant illustrations. It will be available nationwide in bookstores and online bookstores from Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Explains casual questions like "The Reason Why Lucky Cat and Tanuki Statues Are Found Everywhere in Japan!" from a folklore perspective!

"Folklore" is a Mirror Reflecting Our "Present"

When you hear "folklore," you might tend to imagine old customs and traditions from distant rural areas, but in reality, our daily lives themselves are the research subjects. This book vividly captures not only traditional annual events and rituals but also modern urban legends, B-class gourmet food, internet memes spread on social media, and power spots from the perspective of "contemporary folklore."

"Why do Japanese people bow? Why is that place called a power spot?" It visually explains the history and origins behind the "obvious" aspects of everyday life using illustrations. After reading it, your usual surroundings will look completely different.

The "Introduction" of this book. Folklore is so interesting you'll be too excited to actually sleep!

Structure of This Book

Chapters 1-2: Fundamentals of Folklore From the ideas of Kunio Yanagita, the father of Japanese folklore studies, to the concept of "Vernacular," essential for cultural analysis in the SNS era. It also covers the foundations of life such as "Mura and Ie" (villages and households) and beliefs such as "Kami" (gods) and "Matsuri" (festivals).

Chapter 3: Folklore in Everyday Life From "What are fairy tales?" to dissecting etiquette and customs that connect to the present day.

Chapters 4-5: Contemporary Society, Urban Life, and Folklore Internet memes, B-class gourmet food, power spots, urban legends... Uncovers the true nature of our "beliefs" and "culture" as modern people.

Folklore has no barriers, up or down...