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

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 View Less