ISBN: 9781481196130

Most of the following Kwaidan, or Weird Tales, have been taken from old Japanese books.... Some of the stories may have had a Chinese origin: the very remarkable Dream of Akinosuke, for e… More...

Most of the following Kwaidan, or Weird Tales, have been taken from old Japanese books.... Some of the stories may have had a Chinese origin: the very remarkable Dream of Akinosuke, for example, is certainly from a Chinese source. But the Japanese story-teller, in every case, has so recolored and reshaped his borrowing as to naturalize it.... One queer tale, Yuki-Onna, was told me by a farmer of Chofu, Nishitama-gori, in Musashi province, as a legend of his native village. Whether it has ever been written in Japanese I do not know; but the extraordinary belief which it records used certainly to exist in most parts of Japan, and in many curious forms.Here is an engaging collection of tales, ghost stories, and observations that capture the enduring folk-spirit and quaint exoticism of a land once thought mysterious and sinister. Hearn is a natural raconteur and fills his narratives with curious details and asides. Several of the pieces here were adapted for the film Kwaidan, directed by Masaki Kobayashi in 1965. Following the traditional stories are unusual insect studies on butterflies, mosquitoes, and ants. Trade Books>Trade Paperback>Self-Transformation>Supernatural Beings>Supernatural Beings, CreateSpace Publishing Core >1<

ISBN: 9781481196130

This collection of Japanese supernatural stories is a classic work in the field of Japanese horror. Known primarily as an early interpreter of Japanese culture and customs, the famous wri… More...

This collection of Japanese supernatural stories is a classic work in the field of Japanese horror. Known primarily as an early interpreter of Japanese culture and customs, the famous writer Lafcadio Hearn also wrote ghost stories—delicate, transparent, ghostly sketches—about his adopted land. Many of the stories found in Kwaidan, stories and studies of strange things, are based on Japanese tales told long ago to him by his wife; others possibly have a Chinese origin. All have been re-colored and reshaped by Hearn's inimitable hand. Some critics attribute Hearn's fascination with eerie tales to his partial blindness. Whatever its roots, he was drawn to the hidden realms of the spirit world with its strange facts and marvels. In this collection of unforgettably haunting stories, Hearn brings together the meeting of three ways—the austere dreams of India, the subtle beauty of Japan and the relentless science of the Western world.Japanese ghost and supernatural tales include:A musician called upon to perform for the deadMan-eating goblinsInsects who uncannily mimic human behavior Trade Books>Trade Paperback>Self-Transformation>Supernatural Beings>Supernatural Beings, CreateSpace Publishing Core >1<

ISBN: 9781481196130

Paperback, [PU: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform], Most of the following Kwaidan, or Weird Tales, have been taken from old Japanese books, -such as the Yaso-Kidan, Bukkyo-Hyakk… More...

Paperback, [PU: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform], Most of the following Kwaidan, or Weird Tales, have been taken from old Japanese books, -such as the Yaso-Kidan, Bukkyo-Hyakkwa-Zensho, Kokon-Chomonshu, Tama-Sudare, and Hyaku-Monogatari. Some of the stories may have had a Chinese origin: the very remarkable "Dream of Akinosuke," for example, is certainly from a Chinese source. But the story-teller, in every case, has so recolored and reshaped his borrowing as to naturalize it... One queer tale, "Yuki-Onna," was told me by a farmer of Chofu, Nishitama-gori, in Musashi province, as a legend of his native village. Whether it has ever been written in Japanese I do not know; but the extraordinary belief which it records used certainly to exist in most parts of Japan, and in many curious forms... The incident of "Riki-Baka" was a personal experience; and I wrote it down almost exactly as it happened, changing only a family-name mentioned by the Japanese narrator. - L.H. Tokyo, Japan, January 20th, 1904, Unexplained Phenomena / The Paranormal<