Toshiden: Exploring Japanese Urban Legends: Volume Two

Toshiden #2

by Tara A. Devlin

You thought it was over? Not even close.Ever felt eyes watching you while you were alone? You might be haunted by Sukima-onna, but don’t worry, she’ll make sure you’ll never be alone again…

What was the terrifying meaning behind thousands of strings seemingly tied at random around a small, sleepy town?

How can you stop the prophecy of the terrifying Kudan, the cow with a human face and predicts certain doom?

Exploring Japanese Urban Legends Vol. 2 is back with over 70 brand new urban legends straight out of Japan, all painstakingly researched and—for many—translated into English for the first time. From supernatural creatures to medical mishaps, horrific crimes to chilling secrets of the entertainment industry, nobody does horror quite like Japan.

Click the BUY NOW button to discover the hidden secrets behind these legends. After all, the truth is often stranger than fiction.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Japan, Urban Legends

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 10, 2019

About the author

Tara A. Devlin studied Japanese at the University of Queensland before moving to Japan in 2005. She lived in Matsue, the birthplace of Japanese ghost stories, for 10 years, where her love for Japanese horror really grew. And with Izumo, the birthplace of Japanese mythology, just a stone’s throw away, she was never too far from the mysterious. You can find her collection of horror and fantasy writings at taraadevlin.com and translations of Japanese horror at kowabana.net.

Reviews

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тара Девлин продължава да запознава западния читател с най-популярните и ужасяващи градски легенди на Япония и във втория том от колекцията си Toshiden, която обаче е само една от поредиците на авторката за съвременния фолклор в Страната на изгряващото слънце.

Млад мъж се нанася в апартамент срещу изгодна оферта, но през цялото време има чувството, че някой го гледа. След като започва да търси, той ще научи, че предчувствието не го е излъгало. Шофьор ще катастрофира, след като време на каране нощем бива настигнат от старица, бягаща неестествено бързо по пътя. Номер на телефон ще Ви позволи да се обадите лично на Садако от “Предизвестена смърт”, за да споделите съдбата на останалите й жертви. Водеща на телевизионно вариете урочасва с лош късмет всички, които подкрепи, дори да са световни звезди като Дейвид Бекъм. Същото се случва и с онези, имали нещастието да привлекат интереса на популярен блог. А чудодейно хапче за отслабване ще реши проблема с наднорменото тегло веднъж и завинаги, но на ужасна цена…

Прочетете цялото ми ревю в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/toshiden-explo...

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again: shelved to non-fiction because these are urban legends that are told in Japan and translated (sometimes with explanations) by Tara Devlin. That's not to say that the stories themselves are true.

The second volume has a lot more humorous stories in it than the first one. Not as strong as a collection as the first one but still a pretty good read. I really do appreciate the author taking the time to put the stories in context for us: when she could and the information is available, she expounds on the legend itself, grounds it in reality, gives us regional variations, and then leaves a short note on how the particular urban legend might have come about. We learn a lot of things about a culture from the stories they tell, and as Devlin points out there's still a lot more emphasis on the supernatural in the urban legends of Japan compared to, say, the USA. This series is entertaining on its own if you love horror/spooky stories, but is also quite an interesting look at Japanese culture in general.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great collection or tales and fables. Perhaps more variety than the previous volume?

[Paula Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a number of Devlin's books and they are all very well researched, and the writing is smooth and draws you into each tale. The structure is also good with clearly defined tales and their origins. This is sectioned into similar stories - e.g. crime and entertainment are two. Japan's love of horror, ghosts and strange occurences are also mixed in with western influences, and the marriage of the two works well. Devlin once again takes the quirkiness of Japan and makes it accessible to a western audience.

[Maurício da Fonte Filho · Rating 4 out of 5]

O vol. 2 traz ainda mais histórias, transitando entre o terrível, o engraçado e o surreal. É um livro igualmente interessante, que continua o trabalho de explorar as lendas urbanas japonesas, ao mesmo tempo em que procura explicar as origens por trás dessas histórias, e se elas têm um fundo de verdade ou não.

[KarenMichelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books!

this book is fantastic as ever! I'm always excited to see a new one and can't wait for even more!

[Domini Phillips-Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is great fun. Truly entertaining and creepy! Love it!

[Jeannette Michelsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume was okay but was lacking a bit of what made volume one such a creepy and fun read.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another collection of urban legends. Some of them are pretty interesting. This volume has many legends about variety shows.