Abstract:
When truly addressing the call for a sustainable future, and promoting sustainable literacy, it is necessary to incorporate ‘sustainability human factors’ alongside non-human factors. This paper aims to explore these ‘human factors’ as depicted in Japanese folktales (mukashibanashi) adapted to Sinhala, and their implications for sustainability, thereby exploring new avenues in sustainability literacy. Extant research literature has extensively highlighted the significance that folklore and folktales play in fostering sustainability and sustainability literacy. However, there are not many studies that focus on Japanese folktales of their potential to promote sustainability literacy. Using a thematic analysis approach, themes emphasising human factors in sustainability in 16 Japanese folktales were considered, and in the analysis five major themes were identified including values, references to religion, beliefs, fantasy, and historical references, each with several subthemes. These stories teach moral lessons, emphasising noble human traits like selflessness, generosity, and sharing, religious teachings such as karma, karma phala, and reincarnation, and the importance of living in harmony with nature. While disseminating a wealth of wisdom such as beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviours of bygone societies, the fantastical presentation of these traits: constituents of a ‘new humanism’ in folktales, has the potential to promote sustainability literacy with their applicability and relatability to present generations.
