Country Delights - Kaiki: Uncanny Tales from Japan, Vol. 2

The second volume in our Kaiki series moves from Edo, the center of Japan during the Shogunate, into the country, where old traditions and older fears are preserved. Enjoy a deeper and very different glimpse into the world of Japanese weird and supernatural literature, with superlative works drawn from centuries of literary creation. Includes an in-depth introduction to the genre by recognized authority Higashi Masao.ContentsRobert Weinberg: Preface—The Subtle Ambiance of Japanese HorrorHigashi Masao: Introduction—The Rise of Japanese Weird FictionYanagita Kunio: "Selections from 'Legends of Tōno'"Natsume Sōseki: "The Third Night, from 'Ten Nights' Dream'" Izumi Kyōka: "Sea Daemons"Hirai Tei’ichi: "Midnight Encounters" Takahashi Katsuhiko: "Reunion"Uchida Hyakken: "A Short Night"Komatsu Sakyō: "The Kudan's Mother" Hikage Jōkichi: "The Clock Tower of Yon" Nakajima Atsushi: "The Mummy" Akiyama Ayuko: "Only Child" Reviews...an outstanding set of publications. This is an invaluable contribution to scholarship on the supernatural in literature and folklore in Japan and elsewhere. The stories are accessible and entertaining; they could easily be used in an undergraduate class where they would illuminate some of the sources and motifs so prevalent in contemporary Japanese horror film, manga, and anime. Moreover, these stories provide an introduction not only to a variety of important authors—many of whom are underappreciated even in Japan—but also tempt the reader to venture more deeply into the cultural and folkloric contexts that inform them. In short, the series is a perfect entree into some of the enduring traditions of Japanese supernatural folklore and supernatural literature, and the cross fertilization between the two.—Michael Dylan Foster, Journal of Folklore ResearchThe stories themselves are a wonderful mixed bag. Some tales are very odd in structure, sometimes without a conventional ending and with a lesson to be learnt. But be warned Western horror fans unfamiliar with Asian horror, these are not ordinary horror tales, not all involve terror and violence, they differ greatly from a collection of western tales of the same genre.—Elizabeth Vinton, Dark Matter...weird fiction, more unsettling that shocking. Most make use of traditional settings and Japanese ghosts and monsters, but some favor exotic locales. The translations in "Country Delights" were just pure reading pleasure.—Zack Davisson, Japan Reviewed...this anthology may provide readers with some welcome relief from the summer heat by causing chills to run down their spines.—Mark Schreiber, Japan TimesThis second volume of Kaiki continues the high standard of fiction showcased by the first; and a further welcome sampling of Japanese supernatural fiction has been made available and placed in its context.—John Howard, writing in Wormwood No. 16

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