TALES FROM SPIRIT MOUNTAIN: Japan's Gods, Demons, and Yokai

Shigeru Nagano has only died twice in his sleep. He’s been stomped to death, sliced into little pieces, and torn from limb to limb, but in his sleep, only twice. Now, you might be thinking, Sheesh! Those fortunate, ‘die in your sleep’ episodes, must have been quite a relief—yep—quite the reprieve. But they weren’t. According to Shigeru, regardless of the circumstances, dying always sucks. Each and every time—dying is just plain no fun. Shigeru blurted his complaint to the Big God of Amami, “Dead again… Well, bite me! Seem’s like I just got here. And what’s with the giant foot coming out of the sky, squishing my guts out all over the floor, only to reappear and stomp me once again? That hardly seems fair. And then, to top it all off, when I was reborn, you make me remember the entire event in vivid detail.” “Nuh-uh, no way!” Amami Big God waved his hands in the air pleading his innocence, “That wasn’t me. My smiting methods are much more subtle. I hardly ever perform an ultra-violent smite. I’m a benevolent god.” “Well then, which one of you, so-called divine beings, squished my guts out every orifice in my body?” “Well…I don’t know. The Big God of Amami looked around nervously and whispered, “The Big God of Earth may have a teeny-weeny grudge against you and your family.” Follow Shigeru and his family as they die, are born again, and die again, on the southern Japanese island of Amami Oshima. Along the way, they will encounter gods, ghosts, and demons that also, along with the Nagano clan, claim Spirit Mountain as their home. The results are sometimes sad, and occasionally horrifying, but on a good note, almost always humorous. Give this novel a whirl. Take a glimpse into Japanese folktales, their historical, mystical beliefs, and background into their present-day culture. It’s a fun read, will make you laugh and cry, and tickle your imagination. A yokai a day keeps the boredom away.

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