Tono is a fairly isolated, mountainous place up north, with a long folktale heritage. You’ll find kaidan everywhere, but the Tono region is rich in folklore, as captured in “Tono Monogatari.” And of course, the perennial favorite, “Kappa and the Small Anus Ball.”Īre there any places in Japan that are particularly fruitful for kaidan? I love “The Smoking Husband” from “Konjaku Monogatari and The Rattling Bridge” from Kyoka Hyakumonogatari. My favorites are the ones that are slightly odd.

Is there one kaidan story in particular that has left a very strong impression? It’s similar to attitudes about religion - Japan tends to practice religion as an extension of tradition and culture, putting aside questions of belief and actuality. The Western perspective tends to be either more cynical or more extreme. And I think that holds true generationally. There’s an attitude of accepting the supernatural as a part of their heritage. The dead even claim space in the house in the butsudan (family altar). The omnipresence of shrines and temples has something to do with that - Japanese children are introduced to the supernatural at a young age, and grow up with kappa, dragons and yūrei. Japan takes the supernatural as a matter of course. How would you describe the Japanese view of the supernatural? Is it similar to the Western perspective? Do you see that view evolving over generations? “The Ghosts” volume had “The Wife’s Revenge,” with Oiwa from “Yotsuya Kaidan.” That planted the seed.

Fortunately, my mother supported my fantasy fix and got me the TimeLife series “The Enchanted World,” about world mythology and folklore. I’ve always been interested in monsters, ghosts and folklore - I was the kid who read Fortean Times and could tell you about the Jersey Devil and the Bell Witch. What inspired you to get interested in Japanese folklore and ghostly tales? As Davisson said himself, quoting Lafcadio Hearn’s book “Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation,” “You couldn’t understand really Japan without understanding Japan’s ghost and folklore.” In this Japan Times Blogroll interview, we find out more about Davisson and how a short story can impart a wealth of insight about a country’s culture.

Strange story japanese