Japanese Folk Tale

Humorous Stories: Tales of Foolish Villages 251
Iwate, Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 552, "Manju and noodles" (Manju to
semen). Tossing dumplings and hanging noodles around the neck are
told as a foolish son-in-law tale.
Toyama: TD III 2 81, "Hanging soba on the ears" (Mimikake soba no
hanashi). Also, throwing manju.
Nagano: Chiisagata 212, "Otsukiyaren." This is in the form of a foolish
son-in-law tale about pulling screens.
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 239, "Horen-heiyo." A story about
a priest and his novice.
Tokushima, Mirna-gun, Iyayama: Awa Iyayama 136, "The simpleton"
(Oroka banashi).
Nagasaki, Iki-gun: (Old) Iki 20, "The bag to jump into and putting
noodles around the neck" (Tobikomi bukuro to kubikake somen).
Further reference:
Seisuisho. Raw "Yajiro" and cooked "Yajiro."
262. Shaking Rice
(No source.) They let a man who is dying listen to the sound of
rice being shaken. This is told at Inbi, Minamiamabe-gun, Oita.
263. Not Celebrating New Year
There is a place name of that sort in Nagato (Yamaguchi), Toyoura-gun,
Yoshimi and around Murotsu in Sue (Yamaguchi). They do not
make mochi there at New Year. It is said that it is because of a curse
of a cat that was burned to death. When they make mochi, it is full of
cat hairs and not fit to eat.
One version is told as a foolish village tale. Somebody came to sell
pine boughs for door decorations two or three days after New Year
and could not sell them.
Nagasaki, Ikinoshima: (Old) Iki 9 Note No.4. This is a note about sending
a New Year pine to the Dragon Palace.
These may be early forms, but they make good humorous tales.
264. The Pheasant-Crow
A man went along with a pheasant hung at his side for a sample
and asked if anyone wanted to buy a crow. When somebody said he