Strange Tales from Japan: 99 Chilling Stories of Yokai, Ghosts, Demons and the Supernatural

Description

Prepare to be spooked by these chilling Japanese short stories! Strange Tales from Japan presents 99 spine-tingling tales of ghosts, yokai, demons, shapeshifters and trickster animals who inhabit remote reaches of the Japanese countryside. 33 color woodblock prints and over 55 b&w illustrations of these creatures, who have inhabited the Japanese imagination for centuries, bring the stories to life. The captivating tales in this volume include: The Vengeance of Oiwa - The terrifying spirit of a woman murdered by her husband who seeks retribution from beyond the grave The Curse of Okiku - A servant girl is murdered by her master and curses his family, with gruesome results The Snow Woman - A man is saved by a mysterious woman who swears him to secrecy Tales of the Kappa - Strange human-like sprites with green, scaly skin who live in water and are known to pull children and animals to their deaths And many, many more! In his introduction, renowned translator William Scott Wilson explains the role these stories play in local Japanese culture and folklore, and their importance to understanding the Japanese psyche. Readers will learn which particular region, city, mountain or temple the stories originate from - in case you're brave enough to visit these haunts yourself!

Nishimoto Keisuke is a leading scholar of Japanese folklore and traditional tales who has collected stories and published many books for both adults and children, including Nihon kaidan shu, from which these stories are drawn. William Scott Wilson has published over 20 books that have been translated into more than 20 languages, including The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi. His first book, a translation of Hagakure, was featured in the film Ghost Dog by director Jim Jarmusch. He was awarded a Commendation from the Foreign Ministry of Japan in 2005 and inducted into the Order of the Rising sun by the Japanese Emperor in 2015. Wilson lives in Florida.