Places of action in Konjaku-monogatari-shū: the provinces of Japan, their natives, governors, and guests

Abstract

Among collections of Japanese setsuwa tales, Konjaku-monogatari-shū of the XII^th century stands out not only for its volume, but also for its breadth of geographical coverage. Memorable incidents from the life of the Japanese are placed here in a global context, while at the same time each of the Japanese tales has local characteristics. The article examines the functions of toponyms in the structure of the tales and ways of linking the narrative to places on the map of Japan and traces the connection between each of these ways and the type of source to which a tale goes back. Focusing on several Japanese provinces, the authors analyze the contexts in which their names are mentioned, searching for the possible unity of motives in the tales united not just by the place of action, but also by a toponym. The appendix to the article contains a Russian translation of the tale, which mentions the region of Echizen (26–17).