Yurei, Bakemono, Yokai and other Japanese Horror Stories

Posted on by blossomkitty
Japanese ukiyo-e of lantern ghost by Katsushika Hokusai

I am not a huge fan of horror movies, although I was an avid reader of horror when I was younger. The last horror story I read was Ring by Koji Suzuki (1998). It was terrifying, in a very subtle, psychological way. However, I do love Japanese ghost and monster stories. I have recently been … Continue reading Yurei, Bakemono, Yokai and other Japanese Horror Stories

Well, well, well…. Japanese wells, actually

Posted on by blossomkitty
Hokusai's woodblock print of Sarayashiki. The House of Broken Plates.

What is the significance of the humble well in Japanese imagery? I had not even realised that there was a significance until I was reading Peter Carey's Wrong About Japan. The book follows Peter Carey and his son on their trip to Japan. At the end of the book, the father and son watch a … Continue reading Well, well, well…. Japanese wells, actually