Bookish horror enthusiasts looking for refuge from the seasonal influx of trick-or-treaters have a new supernatural compendium to add to their reading lists. Folio Society is rolling out a 200-page hardcover edition titled Japanese Ghost Stories, bringing together twenty classic yokai tales originally translated by nineteenth-century traveler and journalist Lafcadio Hearn. Among the fables featured in the volume are well-known figures like the long-necked Rokurokubi, the snow ghost Yuki-onna, and the traditional romance of Aoyagi involving a samurai and a mysterious woman.
The physical design of the book pays homage to historical Japanese publishing formats while incorporating contemporary artistic sensibilities. Award-winning artist Yuko Shimizu provided the illustrations for the collection, drawing inspiration from traditional Edo period ehon picture books that served as early predecessors to modern manga. The volume itself is bound in screen-printed cloth with four-color text throughout, featuring printed endpapers, a ribbon marker, and a die-cut and blocked slipcase cover, with a retail price of $110.
Readers will also find an introduction penned by acclaimed author Yoko Ogawa, who reflects on growing up hearing similar folklore during childhood summer vacations and notes how Hearn's translations allowed traditional Japanese narratives to reach a global audience. The collection includes twenty distinct stories, ranging from The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hōïchi to Mujina and The Dream of Akinosuké, and officially releases on October 20th through the Folio Society website.
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