Japanese Ghost Stories “Then again she wept aloud,– so bitterly that the voice of her crying pierced into the marrow of the listener’s bones; – and she sobbed out the words of this poem:– Hi kurureba Sasoeshi mono wo – Akanuma no Makomo no kure no Hitori-ne zo uki! (“At the coming of twilight I invited him to return with me –! Now to sleep alone in the shadow of the rushes of Akanuma – ah! what misery unspeakable!”)” - Lafcadio Hearn, Kwaidan Japanese for ‘ghost stories’, Kwaidan is a collection of supernatural occurrences as told by the Japanese oral historians. Witness horror straight from the Masters of Horror and be prepared to meet fantastic characters like spirits, goblins and insects that mimic human behavior. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects. Most of these stories were translated from old Japanese texts. The author also states that one of the stories – Yuki-onna – was told to him by a farmer in Musashi Province, and his was apparently the first record of it. Riki-Baka is based on a personal experience of the author._x000D_ Table of Contetns:_x000D_ The Story of Mimi-nashiHōichi_x000D_ Oshidori_x000D_ The Story of O-Tei_x000D_ Ubazakura_x000D_ Diplomacy_x000D_ Of a Mirror and a Bell_x000D_ Jikininki_x000D_ Mujina_x000D_ Rokurokubi_x000D_ A Dead Secret_x000D_ Yuki-Onna_x000D_ The Story of Aoyagi_x000D_ Jiu-Roku-Zakura_x000D_ The Dream of Akinosuke_x000D_ Riki-Baka_x000D_ Hi-Mawari_x000D_ Hōrai_x000D_ In the last half of the book, Hearn lists collected Chinese/Japanese superstitions and his own personal thoughts on various members of the insect world._x000D_ Butterflies: Personification of the human soul._x000D_ Mosquitoes: Karmic reincarnation of jealous or greedy people in the form of Jiki-ketsu-gaki or "blood-drinking pretas"._x000D_ Ants: Mankind's superior in terms of chastity, ethics, social structure, longevity and evolution.

"Even as she screamed, her voice became thin, like a crying of wind; then she melted into a bright white mist that spired to the roof beams. Never again was she seen." 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. The stories in this volume include: "Yuki-onna" -- A ghostly woman saves a man during a fierce snowstorm then gives him a deadly warning… "The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi" -- A musician is unwittingly called upon by a Samurai to perform for the dead, with bloody consequences. "Diplomacy" -- A Samurai warrior avoids the ghostly revenge of a man he intends to kill by outsmarting him before striking he strikes the death blow. Hearn is the best-known early Western interpreter of Japanese culture and was particularly interested in tales of the supernatural. He eagerly gathered "delicate, transparent, ghostly sketches" in his adopted land and translated them with gusto. His English versions were translated back into Japanese and are considered classics of Japanese literature to this day--eagerly devoured by Japanese school children.

First published in 2001. Kwaidan are what Lafcadio Hearn calls 'stories and studies of strange things' - eerie tales which convey the enduring mystery of traditional Japanese culture and the world of the samurai. In this volume, de Benneville's rendition of the Yotsuya Kwaidan of Shunkintei Ryuo paints a picture of life in the capital city of Edo among the samurai of the highest class, jostling for power at the court of the Shogun. At the heart of the story is the Lady of Tamiya, a daughter of the samurai who is sold by her brutal husband into the floating world of brothels, from which she escapes only in death. Thereafter, the Lady is avenged as mis-forutune relentlessly overtakes all who betrayed her, and she is still remembered today in a Tokyo shrine popular with women who seek her protection. More than any history, kwaidan reveal the inner morality of the samurai code.

A haunting collection of Japanese folktales, translated and interpreted by the acclaimed Irish-Greek author and Japanophile. In 1904, Lafcadio Hearn introduced Western readers to the world of Japanese folklore with his collection of ghost stories, Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. His hauntingly lyrical and complex translations, in which he often put his own twist on the traditional tale, are now regarded as preeminent classics in Japan. This volume presents seventeen of Hearn’s unforgettable stories. A blind performer plays for an audience of ghosts. A maiden reincarnates to search for her beloved. A nurse offers the ultimate sacrifice for her young charge. And a group of rokurokubi plot to end the life of a noble samurai. Whether you’re in the mood for phantoms, demons, ghouls, or ghosts, these otherworldly tales will haunt you long after you’ve finished reading.

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Lafcadio Hearn’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Hearn includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Hearn’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles