Kotto: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs

The definitive study of oni, the horned demons of Japanese folklore, from ancient scrolls to manga and anime. Noriko T. Reider traces legends like Shuten Doji and the mountain witch Yamauba across a thousand years.

Noriko T. Reider

How ghosts, death legends and funeral customs shape everyday life in Japan. Michiko Iwasaka and Barre Toelken retell dozens of yurei stories and explain the beliefs behind them, with classic ghost paintings throughout.

Michiko Iwasaka and Barre Toelken

The most famous collection of Japanese ghost stories in English. Lafcadio Hearn retells Hoichi the Earless, Yuki-Onna, the Rokuro-Kubi and other kaidan, the eerie tales of yokai and restless spirits.

Lafcadio Hearn

Lafcadio Hearn collects Japanese ghost stories, Buddhist legends and folk beliefs about the dead, from haunted kimonos to the Mountain of Skulls. A companion to Kwaidan, with the original Japanese illustrations.

Lafcadio Hearn