100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café

by Julian Sedgwick, Chie Kutsuwada (Illustrator)

Abducted by spirits from his village, lost boy Akira must make the long journey in north Japan to find his family and save his young sister, before time runs out. Voyaging deeper and deeper into a Japan ‘between the worlds’, Akira and his companions encounter a host of yokai monsters and famous ghosts, discovering a sometimes comical and sometimes terrifying world of interlinked and ghostly short stories along the way.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Japan, Japanese Literature, Young Adult, Ghosts

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 23, 2023

About the author

Julian Sedgwick is a writer of many books for children, including the Mysterium trilogy, the Ghosts of Shanghai trilogy, and the graphic novel Dark Satanic Mills, cowritten with his brother, Marcus Sedgwick, and illustrated by John Higgins and Marc Olivent. Julian Sedgwick lives in England.

Reviews

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very unique read! I loved the unconventional format of how short stories are interspersed with an overlying graphic novel. All of them are connected, so you shouldn't skip any vignettes.

I particularly enjoyed the first few vignettes best and found them the most memorable. Moon the cat was intriguing as an opening chapter and my favourite would probably be the skateboarding one. Unfortunately, the middle dragged a lot and I had no interest in the 3 tales about Yuki and Taka.

Still, the ending was satisfying and pretty wholesome. This was not the most engaging read for me but I did enjoy being introduced to various yokai and the subtle social commentary.

[Norshafarina Faharuddin · Rating 4 out of 5]

100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Cafe by Julian Sedgwick (Author) & Chie Kutsuwada (Illustrator/Manga Creator)

The story is told through a mix of manga and prose, with a collection of ghost stories (yokai) based on Japanese folklore.

It follows Julian and Chie on a journey through the haunted north of Japan, where they collect ghost stories. Along the way, they’re joined by Akira, a young boy who’s lost and searching for his mother and little sister.

As they travel together, they meet some well-known yokai. The story switches between manga and prose, which makes the reading experience unique. While gathering material for their work, they also help Akira find his way home with help from a few ghosts.

There was also a surprisingly systematic organization for the ghost society. I don’t know why, but that part made me laugh a little. Ghosts with their own system? Honestly, the ghost bureaucracy cracked me up. I didn’t expect that!

Each chapter explores not only the backstory of these spirits, but also their cultural significance. The characters and tales are deeply intertwined, forming a tapestry of memory, myth, and emotional resonance.

I'm glad I came across this book recommendation, it’s really entertaining. Spooky, but not horror, and I’d say it even has cozy vibes.

Overall, it’s a solid 4-star read for me.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the Manga part, loved the titles of the short stories which were atmospheric in their own right, but I am not personally a fan of short stories and as much as I tried I would continually lose focus. I managed to read one of them and only read it 5mins ago but can't remember it now ha ha! They just don't stay in my brain for some reason. However, I read and remembered all the Manga part and the book is worth it for that beautiful journey through the ghost life of Japan.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful spooky tale switching between tales and manga parts.


It took a bit, apparently the ebook just didn’t get released on the release day for some reason, but finally mid-December I was able to read this book!

In this book Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada are back for another trip to Japan. But this one will be a much more spookier one as they get up and close with many Youkai. They are here to help out a little boy named Akira who wants to go home. I knew instantly what was up with Akira, and was curious to see how the story would go for him. Would he be able to go back home? Will Julian and Chie be able to help him? And just like the book Tsunami Girl we also get manga chapters. The story is told as follow. In the written parts we get a story about a youkai/monster/something supernatural and then in the manga parts we see Julian and Chie travel through Japan to find Akira’s home (and also encountering the youkai/monsters). It was a really fun blend and I loved both the parts of the story. At first it seems all unconnected, but as the stories continue we will see that a lot of things are connected together. Which was at times very confusing and at times I really had to stop reading and backtrack so I could get my thinking all up to date again, but I do love that it was all connected. Even the story we get from Julian about an experience when he was younger is connected to the whole story of the book which I liked.

I loved the various youkai/mysterious events that happened in the stories and getting to meet many fantastic youkai. Well, and some I wasn’t such a fan off (like the tengu). I had expected the stories to be a little bit spookier though given the whole 100 tales part and that the blurb mentions them being ghostly.

And I was absolutely delighted when in the middle of it we not just get manga pages but also a new story for Yuki and Taka, the two characters from this author’s earlier book, Tsunami Girl! So be sure to read that book first because the stories we get here detail a new trip to the zone for Yuki and Taka and also some things getting resolved in big ways. I really enjoyed the stories though and it made me so happy to see that Yuki and Taka have found each other again, that they met up again. I also loved that the stories (written) were from the POV of Yuki and Taka, but the illustrations (manga) were about our author/illustrator duo meeting her grandpa (and other family member) + seeing the creations that grandfather created. That was a really nice touch and made me smile a lot.

The writing in the beginning was a bit stiff/polite. Like it was first written in another language and then translated back to English, that is how it felt. Later on I either got used to it or it actually got better, I don’t know yet, haha.

So yeah, despite it at times being a bit stiff/polite (especially the earlier stories) and at times a bit confusing (because it is all connected and it was a lot to keep track off), I really really loved this book and I am so happy that this one was made. I hope that this duo will be making more books like this about Japan. Recommended!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Moshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book! Love how the stories are all intertwined and the cute graphic that is inserted in between chapters. This really helped with my reading slump.

[Adele Lostinaclassicworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo volume ha una struttura molto particolare: 17 racconti in prosa sono intervallati da un manga!

I protagonisti del manga sono proprio Julian Sedgwick e Chie Kutsuwada, l'autore e l'illustratrice del volume. I due stanno viaggiando per il Giappone in cerca di storie da raccontare e nel frattempo accompagnano anche il giovane Akira a casa.

Il manga mi è piaciuto tantissimo: il viaggio dei protagonisti è affascinante e surreale. Anche loro, infatti, si troveranno ad affrontare fantasmi e creature del folclore giapponese.
I racconti in prosa, invece, presentano personaggi spesso diversi tra loro, anche se alcuni compaiono più di una volta. Quasi tutte le storie sono collegate: man mano impariamo a conoscere intere famiglie e a riconoscere i legami tra i personaggi. Mi sono divertita a ricostruire le connessioni tra loro!

Ogni storia narra di un incontro con un fantasma o una creature soprannaturale della tradizione giapponese.
Nessuna storia mi ha spaventata davvero, quindi il libro è perfetto anche per i lettori più fifoni come me.

Le ambientazioni e i periodi storici cambiano di volta in volta, è stato quindi un bel viaggio nel Giappone, tra passato e presente.

Mi sono piaciuti anche gli spunti di riflessione sulla natura e sul progresso tecnologico.

Devo ammettere che non mi aspettavo una lettura così coinvolgente e originale.
La curiosità su Akira cresce di capitolo in capitolo, così come il desiderio di scoprire il destino di alcuni personaggi.

È stato anche un piccolo viaggio nella cultura giapponese: nei loro rituali quotidiani, nel modo in cui affrontano il mondo, spesso così diverso dal nostro, e nelle numerose creature che popolano le storie. Una lettura davvero unica.

[Alex]

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the authors for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

DNF @ 20%

I was excited for this book as the topic of ghost stories related to Japan makes me curious. Sadly, I could not get into it: I expected more of the graphic novel parts and less of the heavy-text ones. Despite that, the style was not the key issue, as I actually enjoyed the idea of them alternating, but the stories did not click with me so I could not get hooked.

The graphics were nice though, and the main plot and its presentation were rather interesting. The idea had potential, but the execution was not my kind of thing. I felt that by alternating through the two different styles, the graphic novel got confusing and cut into parts. It was not clear to me how the everything intertwined in terms of characters and storyline.

[Brown Guy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dive into a blend of short stories and manga strips proved to be a captivating journey through the rich tapestry of Japanese folklore, brimming with yokai, tengu, nekomata, and nukekubi. While I anticipated a spookier ambiance, I found some of the stories quite engaging. Among the tales, "Three (Further) Stories of Yuki and Taka" stood out, weaving a connection with characters from the author's previous work, "The Tsunami Girl," prompting me to consider buying it too. The integration of short stories and manga strips, accompanied with amazing writing, makes this book a delightful read suitable for all ages. Highly recommended!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Just because you humans can put metal balls into space now, or fling images into the ether, you think you’re on the way to knowing everything! […] There is always something you don’t know, always something vaster, more frightening, more wonderful, more monstrous.”

The way the stories were interwoven with each other through character interactions with the authors had a Lemony Snicket vibe which I really liked. However, it was also apparently interwoven with another book of theirs which I didn’t know about and which made this collection at times confusing and at times a bit boring.

[Jessica Nicastro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Like others mentioned it was such a unique concept that hit a good balance between cozy and spooky. I especially appreciated some of the more emotional moments that really hit home. I’m so glad I found this book!

[mer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternate prose chapters and manga sections. Took me a while to finish. I liked the manga but not most of the prose chapters, they are dull. The manga is continuous plot whilst the prose delves on various Japanese ghost stories.

[bookmehnia · Rating 4 out of 5]

{6/2024} 4/5🌟 Supernatural (Fiction) | 391 pages

“…ɴᴀᴍᴇʟʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ɪꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ, ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴠᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ, ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜰʀɪɢʜᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ, ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ, ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴏᴜꜱ.”

I admit I am a tremendous coward 😅, but I do enjoy myself exciting firecamp ghoststories, scary folklores and urban legends - especially when they involve excellent storytellers.

I got to know that the the writers have sort of like a prequel for this one, as there are characters from the first book who made their appearances in Tokyo Ghost Cafe.

The story started with Julian who was on a quest to collect stories from the haunted north of Japan, accompanied by his very good friend, Chie who was actually a giant rabbit. They stopped by Tokyo Ghost Cafe at the beginning of their journey. At the cafe, they met young Akira who somehow had lost his memories and desperate to get home. Mama-san, the owner of the cafe requested Julian and Chie to let Akira tagged along as he seemed to be going in the way as both of them. Julian and Chie agreed. Together, the three of them embarked on an adventurous journey while helping Akira regained his memory bit by bit. Along their way, they met with eccentric and unusual beings (or aren’t they? 🤭) which coloured their travelling experiences in a more dramatic way. Would Akira successfully return home? And would Julian achieve his mission of collecting all the ghost stories?

I love the concept of the book. It’s a written collection of Japanese ghost stories or as how the Japanese would call them, “yokai”. These stories were interlaced with manga features and comic strips describing us the adventures of Julian, Chie and Akira. Whenever a yokai was mentioned in their conversation, it would straightforwardly be followed by the story about the yokai, which is interesting. We could say the trio were like a mood booster or the introduction to each of the story.

What makes it funnier for me is how Julian was such a character that seemed to be oblivious to his surroundings. He was such an honest and sometimes gullible character. Akira was such a mysterious character too who would make you wanted to know more - although we could basically guess what really happened to him. What makes it even more interesting, I found that there could be some loose connections between these yokai stories and the trio.

I love how each of the story connected the readers to the history, culture, political views as well as personal well-beings of the Japanese people. There were certainly in-depth messages delivered subconsciously throughout each of the yokai story which I found to be great.

A great read if you love anything Japanese, ghost stories and manga.

Thank you #pansing for this review copy in exchange of my personal opinion.

#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #JanuaryReads #JanuaryTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookish #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #januaryinjapan #100talesfromthetokyoghostcafe #juliansedgwick #chiekutsuwada

[L'amicadeilibri♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tokyo Ghost Cafè 17 storie di fantasmi e un manga di Julian Sedgwick e Chie Kutsuwada è un izakaya letterario, un luogo di ristoro per l'anima dove, tra una pagina di prosa e una tavola manga, ti siedi e ascolti i sussurri dei fantasmi. E credetemi, hanno storie meravigliose da raccontare. 
La struttura di Tokyo Ghost Cafe è molto affascinante. Da un lato abbiamo la cornice narrativa, disegnata con maestria da Chie Kutsuwada. Seguiamo Julian, un giovane occidentale che funge da perfetto surrogato per il lettore, catapultato in una Tokyo che è molto più di luci al neon e grattacieli. Accanto a lui, un coniglio parlante, guida saggia e irriverente, e il piccolo, silenzioso Akira, un'anima smarrita che deve ritrovare la via di casa. Il loro viaggio lungo il sentiero che costeggia l'aldilà è il filo rosso che tiene insieme la narrazione, un manga silenzioso e potente che parla attraverso sguardi, gesti e paesaggi mozzafiato. 
Sedgwick non si limita a riproporre le leggende, ma le reinterpreta, le modernizza. Leggiamo di impiegati perseguitati da fantasmi senza volto nei bagni della metropolitana, di antichi gatti mostruosi che si aggirano tra i tetti della città, di spiriti vendicativi legati a un singolo, tragico momento. La vera magia, però, sta nel modo in cui prosa e manga dialogano. 
Tokyo Ghost Cafe è un libro che spaventa, commuove e fa riflettere. È un atto d'amore verso il folklore giapponese e verso il potere senza tempo delle storie. Uscirete dalle sue pagine con la sensazione di aver viaggiato lontano, di aver bevuto un caffè in compagnia di spiriti malinconici e, forse, di aver capito qualcosa in più sulla vita, sulla morte e su tutto ciò che sta nel mezzo. 
Un bellissimo libro per ogni amante del fantastico e del Giappone. Non leggetelo, visitatelo. Non ve ne pentirete.

Recensione completa sul blog.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oddly enough some fine authors have really failed to please me once they've got the bug of Japan – being hung-up about the place so much they seriously change their output and end up turning me off. Peter Carey, David Peace – and now Julian Sedgwick – hardly have much else in common, of course. This, the second collab between Sedgwick and the same manga artist, is clearly part of that indulgent love letter category of writing, and as such will struggle. Here Sedgwick, and the artist (who draws himself as a waist-height rabbit, of course) are travelling the country in search of ghost stories – and toting a homeless spectre of a kid along with them. There is a ghost cat seeing them straight, a look at a phantom skateboarder, and no end of other pieces, in these potentially linked short stories, bookended by manga pages.

The main issue is the stories fail to spook – yes, wailing cats might be expressively awful, and so on, but these stories don't chill anyone, they just are. The third story, of a student taking a haunted flat because it was as a result a lot cheaper, does have some frisson, but gets too cosy and domestic once past that. And they don't really shrug off any sense of cultural appropriation – the fourth tale, where someone is harangued into having a greater respect for the spirit worlds, and about how Japan is getting too developed, isn't bad, but would surely make more sense coming from someone who had been born Japanese.

And when, closing on the midpoint, this turned into sequels of Tsunami Girl – this partnership's first output, I found even less point in continuing. Nor, on this unfortunate evidence, any reason to keep my library copy of Tsunami Girl on the to-read pile. Japan strikes again.

[Ghengis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sweet and slightly creepy fantasy book with an all age appeal. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the manga with the text. The majority of the book focuses on the journey of Julian and Chie to take a boy home to his mother. To the extent that the ghost stories are woven into this narrative the book works very well.

It loses its way a bit in the middle when some stories are inserted which are sequels to Julian's previous book - Tsunami Girl. I'm not sure if he was running out of material or was so taken by the success of that book that he assumed more could not hurt. It feels very forced here. If that book warranted a sequel it should be a separate book.

At the end after the boy has returned home there is a story about the phone of the wind. It feels as though he was desperate to put a reference to the phone in so added it in as an afterthought, rather than trying to weave it into the story about the boy. There is also a story about a Japanese woman that Julian met whilst on holiday in Wales: we get it Julian, you are obsessed with Japan and like an eager child want to tell us where your obsession started. But then its all about you..and you are not writing a coherent story.

Julian has spent a lot of time travelling in Japan. At times it the book feels rather self indulgent. Since he appears as a character in his own book its also quite meta.

I enjoyed this book a lot but for the reasons above it is good rather than brilliant.
I've no doubt another book about Japan is in the works..if you want to convince me to buy it then I think Julian needs to retire as a character. I think Chie as the rabbit works much better as a character as she is a supernatural version of herself. I also think the Tsumani theme has been exhausted.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tra vivi e morti, in un viaggio che copre vari luoghi del Giappone, spiriti e creature del folklore accompagnano i due viaggiatori protagonisti, il tutto in una cornice che mescola la prosa classica delle storie dei fantasmi a tavole manga disegnate con maestria.

I protagonisti sono gli stessi autori: Chie Kutsuwada, con le sue tavole racconta la macro storia di Julian, un occidentale che ritorna nel Paese del Sol Levante e si ritrova in una Tokyo e in un Giappone insoliti a percorrere una strada sul confine tra il mondo dei vivi e quello dei morti. Il motivo del viaggio? Raccogliere informazioni sugli yōkai e gli yūrei per un prossimo lavoro e, nel mentre, riportare Akira, un bambino silenzioso, un'anima smarrita, confuso e incontrato casualmente in uno izakaya ad inizio avventura, che sta cercando di ritrovare la strada verso casa. Accanto a lui ed Akira c'é un coniglio parlante (Chie Kutsuwada) nelle vesti di una guida saggia.

Il contributo di Julian Sedgwick, il giovane occidentale che intraprende il viaggio di cui sopra,e nelle 17 Ghost storie del titolo, che intervallano le tavole e la macro storia mostrando tutta la creatività narrativa. In queste storie assistiamo ad una reinterpretazione delle leggende popolari: tra bakeneko, noppeta-bō, kappa, spiriti vendicativi, tengu e fiori maledetti, il racconto si arricchisce e il viaggio diventa anche del lettore che non solo accompagna Akira a casa seguendo Chie e Julian nella loro raccolta di storie, ma ti permette di esplorare la variegata tradizione folkloristica giapponese.

Il punto più forte del romanzo é il modo in cui si passa dalle parole di Julian Sedgwick a al racconto visivo con le tavole di Chie Kutsuwada, che ampliano la dimensione emotiva e completano la prosa fornendo un'altra prospettiva dove tutto si collega e la lettura diventa ancora più viva ed immersiva. Le tavole hanno un tratto semplice, i disegni giocano con luci e ombre, il dialogo é sostituito più dagli sguardi e dai cenni del capo, dalle espressioni del volto, cosí come il paesaggio che intensifica l'atmosfera e l'ambiente in cui ci muoviamo insieme ai nostri viaggiatori.

Le storie in sé offrono un'affascinante panoramica sul folklore e la cultura giapponese, variando nel genere: toccanti, inquietanti, simpatiche e spooky. Bellissime poi le riflessioni sul lutto, sulla perdita e la memoria: un memento a ricordare e a tenere vivo il ricordo di chi non c'é più in modo da affrontare la perdita senza timore e poterla accettare nella sua dimensione. Si esplora il dolore nelle sue varie sfaccettature rimarcando il potere delle storie e la loro bellezza.

La mappa all'inizio, che mostra il percorso di Julian e Chie, decorata con vari spiriti e yōkai é una piccola chicca cosí come l'introduzione che spiega la tradizione giapponese delle "100 storie di fantasmi" che é un po' la base di questo romanzo ibrido assolutamente imperdibile. Mentre il glossario a fine romanzo é uno strumento utile a chi non ha troppa familiarità con termini ed espressioni della lingua nipponica, usati nel testo in modo consono e mai forzato o fuori luogo.

Ad essermi rimasti più nel cuore sono stati i racconti: "il telefono del vento", "una ragazza chiamata neve", "fiori maledetti" e "il ponte del diavolo". I due capitoli dedicati alla Parata Notturna dei mostri invece sono molto divertenti e simpatici.

Davvero un bel romanzo adatto a questo periodo di halloween.

[Eotchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is “cozy spooky” a genre already? Because that is exactly what this book was for me. A warm, fuzzy, gloomy blanket that spirited away the cold and rainy autumn nights.

In the story (a mix between manga style segments and prose) we follow the adventures of an assorted party of characters, some human, some not so much.
In their path from Tokyo to Osorezan we get to know a bunch of local Yokai, explore local legends and get to feel that the veil between this and the other world is sometimes not as thick as we like to believe.

Most stories left me with that bittersweet feeling I normally expect (and crave) from Japanese novels. The representation of Japanese folklore was much more deep and well researched than what I initially expected and the little pearls of Japanese language disseminated in the book not only helped create very vivid images in my mind, but also taught me a thing or two.

As far as the audience goes, I am going to greenlight this book for all ages: While adults will inevitably read more into it than younger readers, the spookiness and gloominess is light enough to be suitable for everyone .

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, but I am about to purchase a hardcopy as soon as it becomes available as I want this physically on my shelf.
My only regret? Not having this book in my hands in time for Obon.

[Letter From Afifah (Afifah) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨What is this book about?
For me, this book structure is a mix of novels and comic or graphic novels. The novel part is telling the stories featuring Japanese supernatural creatures, and the comic shows the journey of Julian and Chie (author and illustrator) returning the lost boy Akira to his family in the north of Japan. They need to finish the journey as fast as they can to save Akira’s sister while encountering supernatural creatures in the journey.

✨What is my opinion about the book?
For me, it can be quite a while to get the hang of this book. Actually, the novel part and the comic part are related to each other but they do not seem like that at the earlier part of the book. Actually, characters in those stories and in the journey are related to each other either directly or loosely. So, in a way, each character is important in their own way.

Characters and some events from previous work of the author and the illustrator are also directly referred to and shown in this book. This got me confused for a while but I managed to get the gist of it (I never read the previous work). The quite unique structure of this book can be confusing at some points but, the writing and the illustration save this book. The writing is quite easy for me to understand and I like the comic part.

✨Who are the real main characters in this book?
For me, the author and the illustrator! All characters are related to them and they managed to see some of their creations in their journey. For the journey, of course it is Akira. Actually, his case is indirectly referenced in the novel part but it is quite late in my opinion.

✨Last thought?
The way of how these stories are structured reminded me of one of my ARCs a few years back. That’s why I think the real main characters are the author and the illustrator. Plus, I like the stories because they are not too creepy for this lady’s not really brave soul. Maybe my thinking is not too accurate, I see the novel part as the main quest and the stories are the side quest. But, they are related to each other. So, it may be quite complex for some people. However, I still want to recommend this book for anyone that wants to read stories featuring Japanese supernatural creatures, but do not want to read truly scary stories. Lastly, the stories are not equal to 100.

Rating: 3.75 ⭐

Thank you to Guppy Books and NetGalley for this ARC! This review was voluntarily written by me.

[Fae Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sister brought this home, and it intrigued me. Unfortunately, she had to take it back, and I was unable to read it. Luckily, my library had a digital copy, and I immediately jumped into the queue. This was honestly so cool, I loved the stories and the mini comic in between the chapters, couldn't say which one was my favourite though.

Favourite Lines:
- nopperabo - no face ghosts
- Remember, you are always, everywhere, gazing at the glittering skin of an ocean that is wild and deep and without measure.
- Life was out there, somewhere, she was sure of that, and one day she would find it. Capital L Life.
- Bit odd for a young guy, talking to yourself. (Girl I do that everyday)
- Um, well, I like a lot of anime, you know. I just saw Whisper of the Heart for like the hundredth time!
- Spirited away, you might say.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy of this book.

If you enjoy manga and Japanese folklore, then you'll most likely enjoy this book.

I love the way the author and mangaka worked together to combine a journey through manga panels and select stories from across Japan and tied the two parts together in one cohesive book.

This is very much a cosy spooky book suitable for all ages.

The only thing for me that lets it down is the positioning of the short story Devil's Bridge, which is 15th out of the 17 stories. I feel like it broke up the flow of the stories interspersed through the journey Julian and Chie took and would have preferred it to be placed right at the start, to set up the book, or right at the end, to round out the book.

[Vicky Sp · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐,5
Tokyo Ghost Café é la porta d’accesso per l’aldilà, e questo libro racconta 17 storie in prosa e un manga, dove i protagonisti sono proprio l'autore che ha gia pubblicato molti libri e graphic novel di successo, e l'illustratrice, catapultati in una bellissimo e scenografica Tokyo insieme ad Akira , un'anima che si é persa.
Un viaggio emozionante nell'estremo Nord del Giappone raccontato in maniera unica e originale dall'autore che reinterpreta in chiave moderna leggende del tipico folklore giapponese.

Mi é piaciuto moltissimo leggere capitoli intervallati dai manga.
Se desiderate conversare amabilmente con spiriti nostalgici ma allegri vi consiglio di fermarvi a bere un caffè nel suggestivo locale di Mama-san.

[Maarit · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 tähteä. Teoksessa seurataan kirjailijan ja hänen oppaansa matka yokaiden (henkien, kummitusten ja muiden vastaavien sielujen) Japaniin samalla kun he opastavat eksynyttä poikaa takaisin kotiinsa. Teos on melko moniulotteinen, sillä mangaosuudet yhdessä muodostavat eheän tarinan, joita novellit tavallaan joko täydentävät taikka linkittävät yhteen suurempina taustakokonaisuuksina. Novellit itsessään olivat ihan kiinnostavia ja mangaosuudet hyvin piirrettyjä. Miinusta siitä, etten aina ollut varma, miten jokin novelli kuului kokonaisuuteen taikka oliko sen viittaus muihin novelleihin taikka mangaan tarpeellinen.

[Giada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se non sai scegliere tra un manga e un romanzo questo libro fa per te!
Lo scrittore Julian e la sua amica Chie hanno bisogno di fare ricerche per un nuovo libro, decidono cosí di partire da Tokyo per raggiungere Osorezan. Durante il loro viaggio attraverso il Giappone (e non solo 👻) dovranno anche aiutare il piccolo Akira a tornare dalla sua famiglia.
Dal Tokyo Ghost Cafè inizia l'avventura a fumetti che si intervalla con 17 affascinanti storie di fantasmi della tradizione nipponica!
Un mix perfetto di emozioni per chiunque ami l'atmosfera un po' spettrale e la fusione di realtà e immaginazione.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully spooky and cozy, this book is a mix of manga and perfectly well spaced ghost tales - a concept which particularly caught my interest, and enhanced the reading experience in my opinion. The characters are so endearing they get the readers to root for them, and to wish they could protect them.
As for the graphics I loved them, especially the ones of the yokai during the parade scene - which was simply grandiose!
The little touches of humour here and there were touching, and made me smile.

[Rebecca Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not what I was expecting when I picked up the book, in fact it was so much more engaging. I loved moving between the manga and short stories throughout the book which was an excellent way to increase the spooky atmosphere and break up the individual stories.

I enjoyed the way that the characters and themes were woven throughout the entire book and loved seeing how the narrative was constructed throughout.

I would highly recommend this for lovers of both manga and short stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Svani · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful dive into Japanese folklore! The mix of prose and illustration is brilliant, making this a unique, haunting, especially immersive read. I especially loved the eerie atmosphere throughout the linked stories, and the gripping, voicey characters quickly and sharply etched in both words and art. An absolute must-read for manga enthusiasts, or those interested in Japanese lore or fantastic stories in general!

[Isobel Ramsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this imaginative retelling of Japanese folk tales. Short stories are interspersed with manga by Chie Kutsuwada. The two formats and the short stories themselves are interconnected but also self contained. I loved learning about Japanese yokai (supernatural spirits) and the way the stories flit between the present day (including Japan during Covid and in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami) and Japan during the Edo period.

[Juul · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟
It took me a bit to get into the combination of manga and prose, but the further into the story I got, the more I loved it as I saw all the stories slowly connecting. It's always fun to read about different culture/country's myths and legends.
I don't usually read manga, but I think I'll start, because I love chie's style!

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this even more than Tsunami Girl. It is rich in Japanese folklores which I absolutely love. The alternating graphic novel and prose work very well as a format for retelling of folklores.

This is a must-read. I will definitely use this in my course one day.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely beautiful book. A collaberation between two authors with very different styles the prose and the manga weave together to make a beautiful story about history and loss and tragedy and grief and love.