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The Stonecutter came from the country of Japan. The folktale relates
to Japan's religion in a spirital way. Most Japanese people think that they have to get worldy things to be happy, and
thats what they will get if they just ask. And that is what the Stonecutter did. The Stonecutter wanted bigger and better
things. So he would talk to the mountain spirit, and want these things. And the mountain spirit gave him everything that he
wanted. Until one day that stonecutter wanted to become a stone. And when another stonecutter came to cut some of the stone,
he got scared. He told the mountain spirit that he wanted to become a human man. And after he became a human again, he went
back to being satisfied as a stonecutter.
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Japan has a population of 126 million (the eighth
largest in the world). 75% percent of the population, lives in urban areas where population density is very high. Japan has
large national parks and vast mountainous regions where the people's way of life is unrecognisable.
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There are many different religions or sects in Japan. Bu they all combine to form a spiritual framework for
the Japanese people. Shinto (the main religion) is the called the religion of life. They say there are livning spirits (kami).
Which relates to the folktale The Stonecutter. But when war happened in Japan, in shattered many peoples beliefs. They still
now carry on spiritual events, as in celebrations, and carnivals. People also believe that if they do worldy things then the
spirits will grant them what they want.
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