Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan (which means "ghost story" in Japanese) is the first and most famous collection of Japanese yokai stories ever published. This unforgettable collection of 17 eerie tales and 3 original cultural studies by Hearn are based on traditional oral tales passed down for generations. They are fresh reminders of the dark and mysterious corners of the Japanese psyche, from popular representations in anime, manga and video games to Masaki Kobayashi's Oscar-nominated horror film Kwaidan.

This new edition includes over 20 full-color woodblock prints that showcase the rich visual tradition of Japanese Yokai. A new foreword by Michael Dylan Foster, the leading Western expert on Yokai literature, places the stories in context and explains the lasting importance of Hearn's pioneering look at Japan's bewitching spirit world.

This new edition includes over 20 full-color woodblock prints that showcase the rich visual tradition of Japanese Yokai. A new foreword by Michael Dylan Foster, the leading Western expert on Yokai literature, places the stories in context and explains the lasting importance of Hearn's pioneering look at Japan's bewitching spirit world.

ラフカディオ・ハーンの『怪談』は、異邦人の感性で日本の深層心理を鮮烈に描いた魂の記録です。単なる恐怖を超え、行間に漂うのは静謐な美と、忘れ去られた精神世界への深い愛惜。ハーンは口承の闇に洗練された光を当て、日本人が自覚し得なかった「美学としての怪異」を文学へと昇華させたのです。 小林正樹監督の映画版は、この幽玄な世界を極限の様式美で視覚化し、至高の芸術性を獲得しました。読者の想像力を羽ばたかせる余白を持つ原作に対し、映像は色彩と造形で圧倒的な実在感を与えます。テキストの深淵と銀幕の美が重なる時、物語は不朽の神秘を纏い、私たちの心に深く刻まれます。