Horror Tales of Japan: 21 Japanese folktales not to be read to children, coupled with (mostly) uplifting cultural commentary

by Kyota Ko

The chilling consequences of greed, supernatural, wrath, and innocent mistakes... horror tales and yokai stories have been passed down orally to warn the Japanese people against overstepping their bounds in the realms of morality and the divine. Journey through the most powerful narratives that have captivated the Japanese people and shaped their worldview, each story enriched with cultural and historical insights by storyteller Kyota Ko.


The folktales included 六部殺し - The Murderer of Rokubu歌い骸骨 - The Singing Skull佐吉船 - Sakichi's Boat飯降山 - Mount Iburi古寺の化け物 - The Monster of the Weathered Temple牡丹灯籠 - The Peony Lantern加茂湖の主 - The Goddess of Lake Kamo死神 - Death猫山の話 - The Story of Neko-yama牛方と山姥 - The Cowherd and the Yamamba導き地蔵 - Michibiki Jizō吉作落とし - Kissaku's Plungeおいてけ掘 - Leave it at the Moat羅生門の老婆の話 - The Tale of the Old Woman at Rajōmon十六人谷 - Sixteen-men Valley安珍清姫 - Anchin and Kiyo-hime夜中のお弔い - The Funeral at Midnight番町皿屋敷 - The Saucher Mansion at Banchō百物語 - A Hundred Ghost Stories三本枝のカミソリ狐 - The Razor Fox of Sanbon-edaあの世の入り口 - The Entrance to the Underworld

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Japan, Short Stories, History, Japanese Literature, Folklore

240 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Gin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyota Ko runs an Instagram channel that looks at Japanese culture. He’s a great story-teller, and the bite sized content on his channel makes for pretty interesting insights. URL here: https://www.instagram.com/themetrocla...

This book is more along those lines. The horror stories themselves are certainly interesting but they are all quite short. I think that this is less an issue of Kyota than it is of the original materials - they aren’t very long to begin with, if I am not wrong. I remember the Chinese folk tales weren’t terribly long as well - mostly because these were meant to encapsulate some moral lesson and thus something too longwinded is unlikely to command the same attention and time as a shorter one will.

What I found really interesting is the cultural commentary that follows each story. Kyota delves into some cultural aspects related to the theme of the story. I found them insightful and also new, and this is coming from someone who consumed decades of Japanese culture (popular and otherwise). His writing style makes for an easy read, and you can certainly finish the book in one seating, but I didn’t rush and took my time.

The only thing that really annoyed me though was that there were some pages where you have a couple of lines of words before it moves on to the next page, leaving a great portion that is unused. I suspect that this is less Kyota’s fault than it is of the printer that Amazon uses (the book series being self published).

All in all, I enjoyed it, but I do wish that it was longer, and that he goes into more details regarding the cultural commentary. I am looking forward to reading the other two books that are available.

[Mandy Szewczuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating stories, many of which I hadn't heard before. But the true gems of the book are the commentaries in each chapter, which cover cultural topics of religion, war, social change, clothes, trade, and nature. So glad I finally got to read this!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror Tales of Japan provides a captivating glimpse into the rich traditions and folklore of the Japanese people. The stories are hauntingly eerie, presented in a way that is thought-provoking, yet easy to follow.

The commentary is well written, offering fascinating insights into the cultural background, traditions, and daily life. I was particularly drawn to the section on the Ainu people's beliefs about the afterlife, which I found beautiful and compelling.

A highly engaging read that I would recommend to anyone interested in exploring Japanese culture!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very fun book. the horror stories are good - some of them are silly, some genuinely disturbing, but what I picked it up for was Kyota Ko's commentary, all of which is interesting and entertaining.

[Lady Cassiopeia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conclusion:
The book offers a fascinating collection of Japanese folklore and horror stories, though more enlightening than entertaining. Those looking to delve deeper into Japanese culture will find this a rewarding and enriching read. The stories are informative and rich in cultural context.

However, readers expecting a classic horror experience might feel slightly let down. The fear factor remains subtle and educational rather than truly frightening.

A worthwhile read for anyone passionate about Japanese culture. But if you're seeking spine-tingling thrills, this might not be the book for you. Still, it's a cohesive, lovingly curated, and well-researched collection of Japanese folklore presented in English.
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Book Details:
Title: Horror Tales of Japan
Author: Kyota Ko
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Year: 2024
Pages: 240
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Folklore
Language: English
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)
Price: €16.70
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Quotes
Time is an eternal nomad; years too are like travelers who come and go.
For boatmen who spend their whole lives on the water and for horse handlers who age as they pull their horses, their daily lives are a journey, as if their journeys are their homes.
Numerous scholars have, in fact, passed away on the road.

"Do not hand a ghost a ladle"
has been passed down as a pearl of wisdom among fishermen through generations.
What's more, they developed an overly specific countermeasure:
"When asked for a ladle by a ghost, punch a hole in its bottom and then hand it over.
It won’t be able to scoop water."
Now that we know how to disable a ghost’s ability to kill us, we are ready to face them anytime, anywhere.

"But then he did suffer a miserable death soon after, so maybe gods are just couch potatoes who need a little time to get up and do their job!"

[Whitney Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of Japanese horror folklore, followed by an explanation of Japanese culture or history that is tied to the story. It was a really fun way to learn more about Japan. Ghost stories are always my favorite way to learn local culture. Any time I visit a new place, I look for a ghost tour because local legends offer great insight into the beliefs and culture of the people who live there. This offered similar insight, in Kyota Ko’s typical humorous fashion. Highly recommend!

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving these books!

Two down, 2 to go, and I am really liking these, especually the combination of a classic story followed by a brief history lesson about the source of the story.

[Dita F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely fun to read. Almost makes me wish I had kids to scare with this.

[Dinh Hong · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting tales with history and culture of their prefectures

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting collection of stories.

[Stefan Krämer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just what it states - a lovely written collection of Japanese horror stories. It provides a nice overview of the Japanese supernatural like oni, yokai, ghosts, cruel gods or simply unforgiving nature. Although not every horror is equally severe for the European reader it helps understanding the Japanese and their way of living.
I can fully recommend this book for everyone who is interested in Japan.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. I especially love the segment on yokai and Toriyama Sekein