Supernatural Tales from Japan: Ghosts, Goblins, Demons and Magic

by Lafcadio Hearn, Sakyu (illustrator)

Eerie tales of Japanese goblins, ghosts and magic—beautifully illustrated in a deluxe collector's edition!This collection of fifteen chilling tales brings to life a world where the supernatural and earthly realms are seamlessly intertwined. The ghosts, goblins and magical creatures in its pages are by turns mischievous, terrifying, protective and tender. Included in this anthology The Badger Haunted Temple: A brazen group of friends attempts to rid a temple of a gluttonous, shape-shifting goblin who has taken up residence thereA Cherry Flower Idyll: A young man falls in love with the ethereal spirit of a cherry blossom tree and vows to find her in the mortal worldThe Story of Mimi Nashi Hoichi: A blind bard is summoned to recite the tale of a famous battle to the ghosts of its victims, only to find that his own life is at riskAnd twelve other supernatural tales, including several that rarely appear in English!Passed down through generations, these classic tales are beautifully retold by Lafcadio Hearn and Yei Theodora Ozaki, two great interpreters of Japanese folk traditions. This volume features a deluxe hardcover binding and sixteen all new, full-color illustrations by contemporary Japanese yokai artist Sakyu. It will be treasured by fans of yokai and Japanese culture, as well as anyone who enjoys a good ghost story.

160 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Greek-born American writer Lafcadio Hearn spent 15 years in Japan; people note his collections of stories and essays, including Kokoro (1896), under pen name Koizumi Yakumo.

Rosa Cassimati (Ρόζα Αντωνίου Κασιμάτη in Greek), a Greek woman, bore Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χερν in Greek or 小泉八雲 in Japanese), a son, to Charles Hearn, an army doctor from Ireland. After making remarkable works in America as a journalist, he went to Japan in 1890 as a journey report writer of a magazine. He arrived in Yokohama, but because of a dissatisfaction with the contract, he quickly quit the job. He afterward moved to Matsué as an English teacher of Shimané prefectural middle school. In Matsué, he got acquainted with Nishida Sentarô, a colleague teacher and his lifelong friend, and married Koizumi Setsu, a daughter of a samurai.
In 1891, he moved to Kumamoto and taught at the fifth high school for three years. Kanô Jigorô, the president of the school of that time, spread judo to the world.

Hearn worked as a journalist in Kôbé and afterward in 1896 got Japanese citizenship and a new name, Koizumi Yakumo. He took this name from "Kojiki," a Japanese ancient myth, which roughly translates as "the place where the clouds are born". On that year, he moved to Tôkyô and began to teach at the Imperial University of Tôkyô. He got respect of students, many of whom made a remarkable literary career. In addition, he wrote much reports of Japan and published in America. So many people read his works as an introduction of Japan. He quit the Imperial University in 1903 and began to teach at Waseda University on the year next. Nevertheless, after only a half year, he died of angina pectoris.

Reviews

[Jawahir the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

I think I found the perfect gift for my Japanese culture enthusiast, anime, and Manga fan sister. The illustrations were particularly gorgeous.

I also loved how after each story, you get a mini bibliography giving you an opportunity to research more about any particular lore that caught your eye

Do I recommend? Great as a gift, great as a coffee table book, great as a light read, what’s not to like!?

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[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much to learn of the Japanese culture with these stories.

Within this book, you are going to be introduced many of the different characters of Japanese myths and legends.

These were fantastic! I loved each story, and the many different facets that they would be used and told. It was a fun read, and I read them aloud to my teen boys, who enjoyed them also.

Well done!

I received an advanced copy from Edelweiss and the publisher for my honest review

[Carter Venne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed several of the stories, probably more of the ones translated by Yei Theodora Ozaki than Lafcadio Hearn although that was largely based off premise. All the stories are pretty quick reads and offer enough variety to keep you entertained. The art pages by Sakyu for every tale are truly stand outs.

[Dylan Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful compilation of classic Japanese folktale while I would recommend reading the complete collection by Lafcadio Hearn and Yei Theodora Ozaki.The highlight of the collection is the astounding artwork at the start of every story.