The chilling consequences of greed, supernatural, wrath, and innocent mistakes... horror tales and yokai stories have been passed down orally to warn the Japanese people against overstepping their bounds in the realms of morality and the divine. Journey through the most powerful narratives that have captivated the Japanese people and shaped their worldview, each story enriched with cultural and historical insights by storyteller Kyota Ko.The folktales included are:六部殺し - Th...

Once upon a time in Japan, there was a province where parents who reached the age of sixty had to be abandoned deep in the woods on a hill called Ubasute-yama... Was the story based on a real practice?History is written and re-written by the victors of history, but folktales are told and retold by folks of the ordinary. The truths they intend to convey can differ greatly...A collection of 28 Japanese folktales coupled with a digestible explanation of the cultural and histor...

History is written and re-written by the victors of history, but folktales are told and retold by folks of the ordinary. The truths they intend to convey can differ greatly...A collection of 28 Japanese folktales coupled with a digestible explanation of the cultural and historical background of each. An excellent entry point into learning Japanese culture.

Once upon a time, lovers in Japan shared tender words, quarreled, and swayed each other's feelings in poetry. Explore the origins of Japanese culture through a collection of stories from an ancient past when myth and history intersected, enriched with cultural and historical insights by storyteller Kyota Ko.Stories included:Izanagi, Izanami, and the Genesis of JapanThe Tale of Takeminakata and Lake SuwaThe Legend of Ono-no-Kom...

The chain of islands stretching south of Tokyo was once places of exile, banishing outlaws both dangerous and quirky, and sometimes even those with a touch of charm...Kyota Ko presents both folktales from the most destitute islands, and the true stories of the zainins—sinners—who clung to life and hope amidst their harsh fates.

A samurai prison guard who saw the humanity in even the most savage prisoners, an untalented warlord relentlessly obsessed with protecting his people, a lady-in-waiting of ancient Japanese court who turned herself from a single-mom bookworm into a best-selling author and savior of the ruler of Japan, an impoverished samurai clan that overthrew two centuries of oppression…Japanese history holds a wealth of underrated figures, each with an inspiring story of perseverance and determin...