was a Japanese

folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currenc ...

. He was joined a group under Yanagita Kunio, but often came to different conclusions regarding the same folktales. Along with collecting and compiling folktales, Seki also arranged them into a series of categories. This work culminated in his ''Nihon mukashibanashi shūsei'' (''Collection of Japanese Folktales'') (1928, revised 1961), in three volumes, which classified Japanese folktales after the model of the Aarne-Thompson system. A selection was published as ''Nihon No Mukashi-Banashi'' (1956–7), and was translated into English as ''Folktales of Japan'' (1963) by Robert J. Adams.

University Life

Seki was a native of Nagasaki Prefecture and graduate of Toyo University. He studied

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

and worked as a librarian for the university. He founded the Japanese Society for Folk Literature (Nihon Koshobungei Gakkai) in 1977 and was its first president. Seki understood German and translated two works of folktales from German to Japanese, Kaarle Krohn’s ''Die folkloristische Arbeitsmethode'' (''Folklore Methodology'', 1926) and Aarne’s Vergleichende Märchenforschung (''Comparative Studies of Folklore'', 1908).

Research and Hypotheses

Keigo Seki's research was on how folklore came to Japan and if some folktales had been imported to Japan from countries such as India and China. Seki's second hypothesis was that folktales should be examined to understand their impact on ordinary events and are to help people in their daily lives. Seki also thought that there was a universal element to folktales and that they are not based on particular ethnic groups.

Major works

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Categorization

In “Types of Japanese Folktales.” ''Asian Folklore Studies'', vol. 25, 1966, Keigo Seki details his own categorization system for folktales, but it did not catch on and the Aarne-Thompson system prevailed. Seki's system had Japanese folktales divided into in the following 18 categories: # Origin of Animals # Animal Tales # Man and Animal #* Escape from Ogre #* Stupid Animals #* Grateful Animals #

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

Wifes and Husbands #* Supernatural Husbands #* Supernatural Wifes # Supernatural Birth # Man and Waterspirit # Magic Objects # Tales of Fate # Human Marriage # Acquisition of Riches # Conflicts #* Parent and Child #* Brothers (or Sisters) #* Neighbors # The Clever Man # Jokes # Contests # Osho and Kozo # Lucky Accidents # Fools and Numskulls #* Fools #* Blunderers #* Village of Numskulls #* Foolish Son-in-Law #* Foolish Daughter-in-Law # Formula Tales

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * 1899 births 1990 deaths Japanese folklorists {{Japan-myth-stub