Ghostly Kyoto

Vengeful spirits, shape-shifting foxes, haunted objects, ghostly monks, reanimated bodies, and the King of Hell . . . This collection of eerie ghost stories paints a vivid picture of Kyoto’s ancient supernatural landscape and its influence on anime, manga, and Japanese culture to this day.

This entertaining retelling of Kyoto’s frightful folklore connects the macabre legends of the past to the sensational supernatural stories in Japanese pop culture today. Éric Faure, a longtime resident of Kyoto, tells these stories in a pithy, engaging way. He offers historical and cultural anecdotes, and personal insights, including how these narratives have permeated contemporary Japanese media culture. From the historical practice of the “Hundred Stories” during the Obon festival, to the lingering impact of vengeful spirits on the city’s landmarks, these tales reveal the complex interplay between the realms of the living and the dead, exploring themes of redemption, compassion, and the consequences of human actions. Faure invites you to contemplate their own beliefs about the unseen forces that shape our existence.       

Whether you’re a folklore enthusiast, Japan aficionado, a fan of anime and manga, or a curious traveler, this book serves as both an entertaining anthology and an alternative guidebook to Kyoto’s hidden spiritual realm. Ghostly Kyoto is an entertaining read and offers an understanding of the enduring power of the supernatural in Japanese society and its profound impact on the Japanese experience.​​ÉRIC FAURE​ is a French researcher who has been living in Kyoto for over thirty years and, while teaching at university, has been studying Japanese legends. He defended a thesis at Inalco (National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations, Paris) on the subject, wrote for both university journals and magazines, and published 11 academic or general-interest books in French. His latest publications include The Story of the Poet Who Became a God (2020), Japanese Legends: Fifty Stories of Kamis (2021), Japanese Legends: Fifty Stories of Buddhas (2022), and From Kyōto to Dazaifu: A Journey into the World of Japanese Legends (2023).