If you’re looking for something spooky to read this Halloween, The Folio Society is opening the door to Japan’s supernatural folklore with a new collectible edition of Japanese Ghost Stories. Available as of today, October 13, 2026, the 200-page hardcover brings together 20 classic tales collected and translated by Lafcadio Hearn, featuring new artwork by award-winning illustrator Yuko Shimizu and an introduction by Japanese novelist Yoko Ogawa.
A little background for ya: Hearn was a 19th-century writer and journalist who settled in Japan in 1890 and became known for introducing Western readers to Japanese culture, literature and folklore. His collections remain popular in Japan, and these stories offer plenty of eerie material for horror fans who enjoy tales of vengeful spirits, strange creatures and the dead returning to torment the living.
Among the stories featured in the collection are “The Story of Aoyagi,” about a young samurai who falls for a mysterious woman, and “Oshidori,” a haunting tale of a mandarin duck mourning her slain mate. Readers will also encounter “The Dream of Akinosuké,” which takes a man into an ant kingdom, and “Rokuro-Kubi,” featuring a monk facing five flying heads. That last one sounds like a particularly strange night at the temple.
The collection draws on Japanese folklore filled with faceless spirits, monstrous goblins and supernatural beings lurking where people least expect them. Fans of classic Japanese horror, including Kwaidan, should find plenty to appreciate here.
Folio Society editor Mandy Kirby said:
“Lafcadio Hearn’s 19th-century ghost stories are famous throughout Japan and are part of that country’s culture of the supernatural. I love the way we’ve taken something traditional and given it a modern twist.”
That modern twist comes courtesy of Shimizu, whose illustrations take inspiration from traditional Edo-period ehon, illustrated books that helped pave the way for modern manga. The artist has received multiple Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators, and this marks her third collaboration with The Folio Society, following Japanese Tales and The Great Gatsby.
Shimizu explained her approach:
“After looking at a lot of old Japanese books and its formats, I wanted to make the illustrations look like a traditional Edo period EHON. These picture books are like an ancestor of manga. They are magazine format story books for adults that are heavily illustrated. But of course, this book is coming out in the 21st century, so it’s a traditional Edo Ehon look with a modern twist.”
The edition includes five double-page illustrations, along with specially designed cover, endpaper and slipcase artwork. Ogawa, whose novel The Memory Police received major international literary award nominations, contributes a new introduction exploring Japan’s fascination with ghosts and demons.
Japanese Ghost Stories arrives today, October 13, just in time for the Halloween season, exclusively through The Folio Society. For horror fans who want to explore the folklore behind some of Japan’s most enduring supernatural traditions, this beautifully illustrated collection offers a chilling alternative to another night of streaming.
