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 there A 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 world The 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 risk And 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.
Authors
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.
