Tales of the Metropolis – Kaiki: Uncanny Tales from Japan, Vol. 3 Paperback – April 7, 2020 by Masao Higashi, Jun’ichiro Tanizaki, Rampo Edogawa, Hiroko Minagawa, Shusaku Endo , Yasunari Kawabata

Description

Author: Higashi Masao

Brand: Kurodahan Press

Features:

• Used Book in Good Condition

Package Dimensions: 28x203x476

Number Of Pages: 256

Release Date: 07-04-2020

Details: The third and final volume of our Kaiki series returns us to the Capital City: Tokyo. While Japan has modernized, renaming old Edo as new-born Tokyo, strange secrets remain hidden under the chrome and spotlights, unaffected by our beliefs in Science and Technology. Enjoy a new collection of stories introducing the strange denizens and happenings of the shadowy world of Japanese uncanny literature. Selected and with commentary by Higashi Masao, a recognized researcher and author in the field.The list of authors includes some of the most famous names in Japanese literature: Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Tanizaki Jun’ichiro, Edogawa Rampo, Hisao Juran, Endo Shusaku, Kawabata Yasunari and others.ContentsPreface: Robert WeinbergIntroduction: Higashi Masao “Earthquakes, Lightning, Fire, and Father”Akutagawa Ryūnosuke “A Bizarre Reunion”Murayama Kaita “The Diabolical Tongue”Tanizaki Jun’ichirō “The Face”Toyoshima Yoshio “Ghosts of the Metropolis”Edogawa Rampo “Doctor Mera’s Mysterious Crimes”Minagawa Hiroko “The Midsummer Emissary”Hisao Jūran “In Thy Shadow”Endō Shūsaku “Spider”Yamakawa Masao “The Talisman”Kawabata Yasunari “The Arm”Akae Baku “Expunged by Yakumo”Morohoshi Daijirō “A Sinister Spectre”Reviews…a fascinating introduction to the uncanny literature of a nation and culture very different to our own and still comparatively unknown. I heartily recommend these books and look forward—with expectancy mixed with trepidation—to further encounters with more Kaiki.—John Howard, Wormwood No. 20…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 MatterJapan’s history of weird and uncanny tales (not to be confused with horror stories) is probably more rich and extensive than any country on earth. …[These] writers knew what they were doing and were able to build on and refine Japan’s storytelling traditions. Tales of the Metropolis collects tales from some of Japan’s greatest writers, with stories ranging from 1915-1996. Names like Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Tanizaki Junichirō, Edogawa Rampo, and Kawabata Yasunari should be familiar to anyone with an interest in Japan. Some of the other authors may not be as well known, but they are carefully curated to deliver a slice of the best of Japanese weird fiction. […] Anyone interested in weird fiction or Japanese literature is going to want the entire series on their shelf.—Zack Davisson, Japan Reviewed