Myths of China and Japan with illustrations in colour & monochrome after paintings and photographs

"Myths of China and Japan" by Donald A. Mackenzie is a deep study into the traditional stories of China and Japan, probably from the beginning of the 1900s. It aims to explain where these cultures came from and how they changed over time, looking at how different ancient cultures mixed together and how complicated their belief systems were. The book tries to show how cultural ideas moved around and blended, creating the rich collection of myths in the Far East. The start of the book gives a full explanation of why mythology is important in Chinese and Japanese cultures, showing how their myths are connected to those of other ancient civilizations. It talks about what happens when cultures meet and share ideas, explaining that myths are not separate but come from a wider human experience that crosses borders. Mackenzie argues against the idea that China and Japan were completely cut off from other cultures, pointing out that many beliefs, customs, and symbols in these cultures grew from taking in ideas from different places, suggesting that carefully studying mythology really shows the shared history of humanity.