The Japanese have two kinds of ghosts in their folklore - the spirits of the dead, and the spirits of the living. This classic of Japanese literature invites you to take your choice if you dare.

In Ghostly Japan collects 12 ghostly stories from Lafcadio Hearn, deathless images of ghosts and goblins, touches of folklore and superstition, salted with traditions of the nation. While some of these stories contain nightmare imagery worthy of a midnight creature feature, others are not ghostly or ghastly at all. "Bits of Poetry" offers an engaging study on verse, and "Japanese Buddhist Proverbs" explains the meaning of several aphorisms based on Japanese cultural references.

Whether you're looking to spot the demons that walk among us, or simply to enjoy the prose of a legendary craftsman, In Ghostly Japan affords countless delights. Stories include:

• "Fragment" about a young pilgrim who encounters a mountain of skulls
• "Ingwa-banashi" about a dying wife who bequeaths a rival a sinister legacy
• "A Passional Karma" about a spectral beauty who returns for her handsome samurai lover