Yurei Attack!: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide

by Hiroko Yoda

  OBAKE HASHIKI (HAUNTED HOUSE) SET (1970s)

  It’s hard to imagine any child wanting to be left a lone with these gruesome soft-vinyl figures. The yokai are creepy enough, but the rendition of Oiwa-san from Yotsuya Kaidan must have been enough to cause nightmares. Then again, there’s a certain charm to being able to carry around Japan’s single most dangerous female ghost in your pocket.

  OBAKE HANABI (MONSTER FIREWORKS) 1970’s

  Although they’re called “obake” (monster) rather than “yurei” fireworks, the art on the package is determinedly ghostly, even featuring a grave.

  NOCTILUCENT GHOST MAGNETS (1980s?)

  These funky, finger-sized cards feature a variety of yurei and yokai inspired designs. They also have magnetized backs, letting you hang them on your locker or refrigerator. Incidentally, we had to look up “noctilucent” in the dictionary. It’s a five-dollar word for “glowing,” which they do quite tenaciously even after all these years.

  NETSUKE (MID 1600s - EARLY 1900s)

  Less “toys” than “playful decorations,” netsuke are the traditional Japanese equivalent of cufflinks or tie pins. Carved from ivory or wood, they were used to attach cloth pouches to the sashes of kimono (which have no pockets). Over the years, netsuke evolved from practical necessity to fanciful accessory, with craftsmen turning out increasingly cute, wild, or striking designs. More than a few netsuke feature supernatural motifs, such as these yurei characters.

  HIKARU OBAKE JIKESHI (GLOWING MONSTER ERASER)

  Yet another glowing ghost toy! This pocket-sized Oiwa-san is horrifying AND handy : she’s a pencil eraser! She is also a fashion accessory, with a loop on her head for those who want to wear her necklace-style. All this for just 50 yen.

  YUREI BIBLIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED READING

  General Resources

  Addiss, Stephen. Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural. George Braziller Inc., 2001.

  Foster, Michael Dylan. Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai. University of California Press, 2009.

  Fujinuma, Ryozo, et. al. Yokai Yurei Daihyakka. (“Encylopedia of Yokai and Yurei.”) Keibunsha, 1984.

  Hearn, Lafcadio. In Ghostly Japan. Tuttle Publishing, 1971.

  Hirai, Tadamasa. Yurei Gashu (A Collection of Yurei Paintings). Zenshoan, 2000.

  International Research Center for Japanese Studies. Ibun Yokai Densho Detabesu. (“Strange Phenomenon and Yokai Legend Database.”) http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiDB/ (Retrieved July 22, 2011.)

  Mitford, Algernon. Tales of Old Japan. Project Gutenberg. Ed. Jonathan Ingram, Sandra Brown. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13015/13015-h/13015-h.html (Retrieved July 22, 2011.)

  Murakami, Kenji. Yokai Jiten (Yokai Encyclopedia.) Mainichi Shimbunsha, 2000

  Nakaoka, Toshiya. Shashin! Nihon Kyofu 100 Meisho (“Photographs of 100 Famous Scary Spots in Japan!”) Futami Shobo, 1983.

  National Museum of Japanese History, eds. Hyakki Yako no Sekai (The World of The Demons’ Night-Parade) National Institutes for the Humanities, 2009.

  Omori, Akihiro. Nihon no Onryo (Japan’s Angry Ghosts). Heibonsha, 2007.

  Smithsonian Institution. Japanese Masterworks from the Price Collection. The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Shogakukan, 2007.

  Tada, Gen. Kaisetsu Kojiki— Nihonshoki. (An Analysis of the Kojiji and Nihonshoki). Saitosha, 2006.

  Oiwa

  Brazell, Karen. Traditional Japanese Theater: an Anthology of Plays. Columbia University Press, 1997.

  Botan Doro

  Asai, Ryoi. Otogi Boko: Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei. (Otogi Boko: New Japanese Classic Literature Collection Edition.) Eds. Osamu Matsuda, et. al. Iwanami Shoten, 2001.

  Lady Rokujo

  Shikibu, Murasaki. The Tale of Genji. Trans. Arthur Waley. Vermont: Tuttle, 2010.

  Bargen, Doris G. A Woman’s Weapon: Spirit Possession in the Tale of Genji. University of Hawai’i Press, 1997.

  Sugawara no Michizane

  Brown, Delmer M. and Ishida, Ichiro. The Future and the Past: a translation and study of the Gukansho, an interpretative history of Japan written in 1219. University of California Press, 1979

  Griffis, William Elliot. Japan in History, Folk Lore and Art. Houghton, Mifflin, 1894.

  Ito, ed. Rekishi Dokuhon: Seinaru Jinja Onryo no Kamigami (A History Reader: Holy Shrines and Angry Gods). Shinjinbutsu Ouraisha, 1991.

  Kohada Koheiji

  Santo, Kyoden and Sunaga,

  Asahiko, ed. Gendaigo Yaku Edo no Denki Shosetsu: Fukushu Kidan Asaka no Numa (A Modern Translation of the Edo Novel: Asaka Swamp: A Strange Tale of Revenge). Tokyo: Kokusho Kankokai, 2002

  Markus, Andrew Lawrence. The Willow in Autumn: Ryjtei Tanehiko, 1783-1842. Harvard university Asia Center, 1992

  Sumpter, Sara L. Katsushika Hokusai’s Ghost of Kohada Koheiji: Image from a Falling Era. http://prizedwriting.ucdavis.edu/ past/2004-2005/pdfs/sumpter.pdf (Retrieved July 18, 2011.)

  Sumpter, Sara L. From Scrolls to Prints to Moving Pictures: Iconographic Ghost Imagery from Pre-Modern Japan to the Contemporary Horror Film. http://undergraduatestudies.ucdavis.edu/explorations/2006/sumpter.pdf (Retrieved July 18, 2011.)

  Sakura Sogoro

  Walthall, Anne. Peasant Uprisings in Japan: a Critical Anthology of Peasant Histories. University of Chicago Press, 1991.

  Aoki, Michiko Yamaguchi. As the Japanese See It: Past and Present. University of Hawai’i Press, 1981

  Jones, Sumie. The Other Side of the Hakone: Ghosts, Demons, and Desire for Narrative in Edo Literature. U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission and Purdue University, 1994.

  Morinaga Shinoh

  Onuki, Akihiro. Kamakura Rekishi to Fushigi wo Aruku (Kamakura Mystery Tour). Jitsugyo no Nihonsha, 2008.

  Miyagi & Isora

  Ueda, Akinari. Tales of Moonlight and Rain. Trans. Anthony H. Chambers. Columbia University Press, 2007.

  Hakkoda

  Nitta, Jiro. Death March on Mount Hakkoda. Trans. James Westerhoven. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press, 2007.

  Jukai Forest (Sea of Trees)

  Gilhooly, Rob. “Inside Japan’s ‘Suicide Forest.’” The Japan Times. June 26, 2011.

  Uncredited. Japan: Suicide Point. Time Magazine. Jan 28, 1935. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,748346-1,00. html (Retrieved July 22, 2011.)

  VBS TV, Producers. Aokigahara: Suicide Forest. 2010. http://www.vbs.tv/watch/vbsnews/aokigahara-suicide-fores-tv3--2 (Retrieved July 22, 2011.)

  Oiran Buchi

  Kobayashi, Kazuo. Oiran Buchi. Soubunsha, 2005.

  Sunshine 60 Building

  Oda, Bunji. Kanshu ga Kakushi Totteita Sugamo Prison Mikokai Film (Previously Unpublished Film Secretly Taken by Wardens at Sugamo Prison). Shogakukan, 2000.

  Mt. Osorezan

  Yajima, Daisuke. Diminutive traditional shaman seen in new light. Asahi.com. Jan 27, 2011.

  Michibiki Jizo

  Schumacher, Mark. A to Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Statuary http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/jizo1.shtml (Retrieved July 18, 2011)

  Smits, Gregory. “Danger in the Lowground: Historical Context for the March 11, 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.” The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. http://japanfocus.org/-Gregory-Smits/3531 (Retrieved July 18, 2011.)

  Atwater, Brian F., et. al. The Orphan Tsunami of 1700 —Japanese Clues to a Parent Earthquake in North America: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1707. University of Washington Press, 2005.

  Japanese Curses

  Seki, Yuji. Noroi to Tatari no Nihon Kodaishi (Curses in Ancient Japanese History). Tokyo Shoseki, 2003.

  Kokkuri-San

  Inoue, Nobutaka, ed. Folk Beliefs in Modern Japan. Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics, Kokugakuin University, 1994.

  Nagaoka, Toshiya. Kokkuri-san no Himitsu (Secrets of Kokkuri-san). Futami Shobo, 1974.

  Hangonko Incense

  Kern, Adam L. Manga from the Floating World: Comicbook Culture and the Kibyioshi of Edo Japan. Harvard Univ
ersity Asia Center, 2006.

  Shinrei Shashin

  Jolly, Martyn. Faces of the Living Dead. Mark Batty Publisher, 2006.

  Koike, Takehiro. Shinrei Shashin: Fushigi wo Meguru Jikenshi (Shinrei Shashin: A History of Mysterious Incidents). Takarajimasha, 2005.

  Yuten Shonin

  Hardacre, Helen. Marketing the Menacing Fetus in Japan. University of California Press, 1999.

  Hell

  Yushinari, Isamu, ed. Nihon Oni Soran (An Overview of Japan’s Oni) Shinjinbutsu Ouraisha, 1994.

  YUREI RESOURCES

  This section covers some classic books and some of our favorite films of the ghost genre that are highly recommended for anyone interested in spooky tales of the supernatural. Those interested in researching further should refer to the bibliography on the previous pages for a detailed list of books and other references that we consulted in making of Yurei Attack!

  BOOKS

  Genji Monogatari

  by Murasaki Shikibu.

  Tales of Moonlight and Rain

  by Akinari Ueda.

  In Ghostly Japan

  Kwaidan

  by Lafcadio Hearn.

  Japanese Tales

  by Royall Tyler.

  The Legends of Tono

  by Kunio Yanagita.

  Rashomon

  by Ryunosuke.

  Akutagawa

  Hiroko & Matt's Top 5 Favorite Japanese Horror Movies

  House (1977)

  This psychedelic freak-out, set in a haunted house, is considered a classic of Japanese horror filmmaking.

  Kwaidan (1964)

  If you’re going to watch any one Japanese horror movie, make it this one. It contains dramatizations of several of the tales chronicled in this book, including Miyagi and Hoichi the Earless.

  Ringu (1998)

  The movie that kicked off the “J-Horror” phenomenon. Quite possibly the best portrayal of an onnen (angry spirit) ever filmed. The Hollywood version, “The Ring,” is OK, but nothing beats the original.

  Uzumaki (2000)

  Although it isn’t exactly a ghost story, this (literally) twisted tale of spirals taking over a town is one of the most abstract yet chilling tales of a haunting ever told.

  Ju-on: The Curse (2004)

  This “J-Horror” classic proved so popular both in Japan and abroad that Hollywood re-made it several years later as “The Grudge.”

  For best results, watch these in the dead of night, completely alone!!

  OFUDA 御札

  Ofuda are paper talismans used to ward off evil of all sorts, ranging from simple bad luck and misfortune to specific ghosts or other supernatural forces. They are widely used as amulets in the religions of Shinto and Shugendo. Generally obtained from Shinto shrines, they take the forms of slips of paper stamped or inscribed with information about from what or whom the owner is being protected.

  The ofuda shown here were obtained from Tamiya Jinja Shrine, also known as the Yotsuya Oiwa Inari Shrine. It is located in downtown Tokyo on the site of the former Tamiya residence — the very same one in which the first yurei portrayed in this book, Oiwa-san, lived centuries ago. A visit to this shrine is de rigeur for anyone who writes about or performs material based on this angry ghost's life (or rather, afterlife). These ofuda were given to us and everyone involved in the production of this book after we paid for an oharai, or preventative exorcism ceremony, prior to beginning work. (Better safe than sorry.)

  Ofuda are generally placed on a wall inside one’s home. In extreme cases, such as that of the Tale of the Peony Lantern (p.27), many hundreds are pasted on walls and entrances to afford residents protection.

  We provide these examples here for those curious about what ofuda look like. Unfortunately, simply copying and pasting up facsimiles isn’t believed to be effective; one must visit a shrine and obtain a “live” ofuda for maximum protection. Even “live” ofuda have expiration dates and need to be replaced, generally on an annual basis.

  PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION CREDITS

  Joe Price Collection 9, 10, 190 ; Hiroko Yoda 43, 63, 71, 79, 82, 83, 106 - 7, 110 - 1, 115, 119, 122-3, 127, 130, 142, 162, 167, 187-8; Tomoo Haraguchi 52, 54, 175; Katrina Grigg-Saito 83; Flickr member “Simon le Nippon” 103; Andrew Lee 136 -9, 181 (bottom right); Rob Oechsle 154-5; Matt Alt 80 (Oni diecast); Yoshiko and Naoki Karasawa 180 (Glow ghouls), 182 (Karuta, monster fireworks); Nandemoplamo 181 (Model kits); Gojira-ya 182 (Haunted House Set); Ilja van de Pavert 183 (Saluting skeleton netsuke); Bernard Hurtig 183 (Skull-carrying ghost netsuke); David Keymont 183 (Monster eraser). (Page numbers correspond to the print edition).

  Lord Enma (p. 172) leers at the spirit of a courtesan, who wears a flaming kimono. By the legendary Kawanabe Kyosai.

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost, we need to single out Gregory Starr for his unflinching devotion to our peculiar set of interests. Without him, Yokai Attack!, Ninja Attack!, and Yurei Attack! would never have sprung into existence. His decision to pair us with the fiendishly talented page-designer Andrew Lee is what made the series what it is.

  Another big thank-you is for Eric, William, and all the fine folks at Tuttle Publishing, who took our books under their wing after the untimely demise of our previous publisher.

  Very special thanks are due to the individuals who assisted us with various imagery. Legendary art collector Joe Price graciously allowed us to use the ghost paintings that appear in the introduction and on the preceding page. Film director Tomoo Haraguchi loaned us assorted gruesome props. Collector “Nandemoplamo” and toy store “Godzilla-ya” allowed us to use photos of the models and toys from their extensive collections. Manga artists Yoshiko and Naoki Karasawa loaned us imagery of menko and karuta cards. Photographer Rob Oechsle gave us permission to use vintage photographs from his archive. And Katrina Grigg-Saito graciously allowed us to use a photo of her family’s Okiku doll.

  Thanks also to all of our friends here in Tokyo who provided valuable ideas, perspectives, and occasionally cold beer, including Andrew Szymanski, Tatsuya Morino, Yutaka Kondo, Konami Chiba, Nobuhiro Arai, Keitaro Hamabe, Masaji and Eri Shiina, Anri Tsutsumi, Susumu Maruyama, and Rintaro Yamamoto.

  And thanks, of course, to Oiwa-san and all of the other ghosts who let us make it through the writing of this book without serious incident.

  Hiroko Yoda

  Matt Alt

  Tokyo, Japan

  March 2012

  MAKE SURE YOU ALSO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER BOOKS BY HIROKO YODA AND MATT ALT

  Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt are a husband and wife team who run a Tokyo-based translation company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books, and literature. They are the co-authors of Yokai Attack! and Ninja Attack!, both originally published by Kodansha International and with new expanded editions coming out from Tuttle Publishing.

  Shinkichi is a Tokyo-based illustrator and designer. An active creator of “dojin” (self-pubished manga). Ironically, she’s deathly afraid of ghost stories. Yurei Attack! is her international debut.

  The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”

  Most people are very surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally books—especially old and rare editions.

  Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, which still thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.

  Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the “Order of th
e Sacred Treasure,” the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.

  With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.

  Table of Contents

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  INTRODUCTION

  KNOW YOUR YUREI

  CHAPTER ONE: Sexy & Scary

  1. OIWA

  2. OKIKU

  3. OTSUYU

  4. THE LADY ROKUJO

  5. ISORA