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Japanese Ghost Stories: Spirits, Hauntings, and Paranormal Phenomena
Japanese Ghost Stories is a collection of the eerie and terrifying from around Japan. This book opens a window into the hidden aspects of the Japanese world of the paranormal, a place where trees grow human hair, rocks weep and there's even a graveyard where Jesus is reputed to have been buried. Covering ancient and modern times, Japanese Ghost Stories offers not only good, old-fashioned scary stories, but some special insights into Japanese culture and psychology.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Catrien Ross
9 books8 followersCatrien Ross moved to Japan more than twenty-five years ago, embarking on a contemplative life as a mystic, spiritual teacher, and sudden genius artist.
She is the founder of Energy Doorways, a creative and spiritual center at the foot of Mt. Fuji that also serves as the indie publisher of Catrien Ross new books in Japanese and English, as well as her CDs and other productions.
In 2013 Catrien Ross experienced the phenomenon of sudden genius, an abrupt onset of original paintings and music. Yet she had never in her life studied either painting or the piano.
Catrien Ross lives in a centuries-old Japanese kominka in the mountains, where she continues to express life as multicultural, multifaceted, and multidimensional.
She is the founder of Energy Doorways, a creative and spiritual center at the foot of Mt. Fuji that also serves as the indie publisher of Catrien Ross new books in Japanese and English, as well as her CDs and other productions.
In 2013 Catrien Ross experienced the phenomenon of sudden genius, an abrupt onset of original paintings and music. Yet she had never in her life studied either painting or the piano.
Catrien Ross lives in a centuries-old Japanese kominka in the mountains, where she continues to express life as multicultural, multifaceted, and multidimensional.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 28, 2012
I was looking for a book on... well, Japanese ghost stories, when I found this in my library's register.
While on the front, the subtitle reads "Spirits, Hauntings and Paranormal Phenomena", it's rather clear that the last one was the most important to the author. I personally do not believe in the paranormal, especially since so many people have been found out to be crooks, and her absolutely noncritical view on the subject bothered me. I had not looked for a book describing faith-healers and people claiming they could contact the dead, especially not in a manner that tries to make them all look extremely credible, shunning the old Japanese administration for not believing in it. All experiments conducted were of course made so the psychics could not work their power... Sure. Her naming the psychics she so wants to back up in line with people like Uri Geller, makes it just more annoying.
In the last part of the book, she finally starts writing about hauntings and ghost stories, and that was fine to read, I just wished I wouldn't have had to go through the middle section.
While on the front, the subtitle reads "Spirits, Hauntings and Paranormal Phenomena", it's rather clear that the last one was the most important to the author. I personally do not believe in the paranormal, especially since so many people have been found out to be crooks, and her absolutely noncritical view on the subject bothered me. I had not looked for a book describing faith-healers and people claiming they could contact the dead, especially not in a manner that tries to make them all look extremely credible, shunning the old Japanese administration for not believing in it. All experiments conducted were of course made so the psychics could not work their power... Sure. Her naming the psychics she so wants to back up in line with people like Uri Geller, makes it just more annoying.
In the last part of the book, she finally starts writing about hauntings and ghost stories, and that was fine to read, I just wished I wouldn't have had to go through the middle section.
May 28, 2013
It wasn't horrible. For most of the book it sat at two stars, but the last 2 chapters managed to bump the rating up a little.
It's titled Japanese Ghost stories. So, a reasonable assumption is that there are going to be quite a few of them, right? Especially for people who are familiar with the local ghost story books, like the "Saskatchewan Ghost Stories" books. This is definitely not in the same format.
The first chapter or so is promising, giving information about various supernatural creatures that show up in Japanese mythology. Unfortunately for several long chapters, that's where it ends. The info on the supernatural is only brief summaries with no actual stories or real detail given. And the following chapters take a completely different turn.
They focus on the history of Japan's religions, like Shinto and Buddhism. They look at some cults/sects that rose and fell from power over the years. They look at the treatment of these groups from the government. They look at various famous psychics, the most impressive of whom seem to be spoon-benders, and people who form images on developing photographs. Then there's the bizarre chapter about how Jesus went to Japan, back to Israel, his brother was the one killed on the cross, then Jesus went back to Japan and lived to be about 100. Photos included of his supposed grave, as well as that supposedly containing some of his brother's remains. Also, some talk of UFOs.
Honestly, it felt a LOT like reading a textbook for school.
It's not until the last 2 chapters or so that you get to the better stuff, and even then...
The first stories are definitely a shaky start. I'm not sure if the author was trying to get into the swing of writing after taking time off, but the first story is so choppy it sounds like a fourth grader wrote it (if not younger). "There was a knock at the door. ___ got up to answer the door..." king of thing. :P At several points, the author mentions various stories but fails to go into any detail, including one paragraph where the author mentions a couple of different stories, one of which is a ghost legend, and one involving a demon, both sounding quite interesting... and they get a small paragraph and a sentence, respectively.
Instead the author gives long paragraph to the subject of haunted tools.
The writing improves, but it doesn't really get good until the last two stories which are much longer, and frankly kind of sound like someone else wrote them. Maybe they're translation from another book?
All in all... Borrow it, definitely. Personally though, if I read it in the future I'll read the mythology chapter then skip to the last two. I wouldn't bother with the rest.
It's titled Japanese Ghost stories. So, a reasonable assumption is that there are going to be quite a few of them, right? Especially for people who are familiar with the local ghost story books, like the "Saskatchewan Ghost Stories" books. This is definitely not in the same format.
The first chapter or so is promising, giving information about various supernatural creatures that show up in Japanese mythology. Unfortunately for several long chapters, that's where it ends. The info on the supernatural is only brief summaries with no actual stories or real detail given. And the following chapters take a completely different turn.
They focus on the history of Japan's religions, like Shinto and Buddhism. They look at some cults/sects that rose and fell from power over the years. They look at the treatment of these groups from the government. They look at various famous psychics, the most impressive of whom seem to be spoon-benders, and people who form images on developing photographs. Then there's the bizarre chapter about how Jesus went to Japan, back to Israel, his brother was the one killed on the cross, then Jesus went back to Japan and lived to be about 100. Photos included of his supposed grave, as well as that supposedly containing some of his brother's remains. Also, some talk of UFOs.
Honestly, it felt a LOT like reading a textbook for school.
It's not until the last 2 chapters or so that you get to the better stuff, and even then...
The first stories are definitely a shaky start. I'm not sure if the author was trying to get into the swing of writing after taking time off, but the first story is so choppy it sounds like a fourth grader wrote it (if not younger). "There was a knock at the door. ___ got up to answer the door..." king of thing. :P At several points, the author mentions various stories but fails to go into any detail, including one paragraph where the author mentions a couple of different stories, one of which is a ghost legend, and one involving a demon, both sounding quite interesting... and they get a small paragraph and a sentence, respectively.
Instead the author gives long paragraph to the subject of haunted tools.
The writing improves, but it doesn't really get good until the last two stories which are much longer, and frankly kind of sound like someone else wrote them. Maybe they're translation from another book?
All in all... Borrow it, definitely. Personally though, if I read it in the future I'll read the mythology chapter then skip to the last two. I wouldn't bother with the rest.
July 15, 2025
Catrien Ross divides her book Japanese Ghost Stories: Spirits, Hauntings and Paranormal Phenomena into seven chapters, of which the last, Edo-Era Tales, is the only one which can really qualify as ‘Japanese ghost stories’. The preceding six chapters are all about other related but factual (or Ross seems to think they’re factual) stories centring round the unexplained, the supposedly supernatural, in Japan.
There are detailed accounts of people who’ve claimed to possess supernatural powers: modern-day white-collar workers, monks, even inventors and scientists who seem to have developed a passion for the otherworldly. There are stories about buildings (including office buildings) which are supposed to be haunted. There are tales of vengeful ghosts, of persimmon trees that glow blue at night and sprout human hair, of rocks that speak to passersby …
While the modern beliefs in the supernatural etc are interesting, what I found irritating was that Ross (who, by the way, is a self-confessed mystic) provides almost no evidence that any of the activity and the supernatural feats she describes has any scientific basis to it. Recordings, scientific investigations into the concerned phenomena, etc, are invariably shown to be either inconclusive or (worse) supporting the supposed paranormality. Ross is obviously a convert, and believes wholeheartedly enough in the paranormal to not see the need for any scientific explanation for (or against) stuff like floating fireballs and pearls dropping out of people’s mouths and a doll growing hair.
As a recording, sans analysis, of Japanese dabblings in the paranormal, this works all right: it can be interesting, even entertaining. As an insightful examination of the phenomena it discusses, however, the book falls flat.
And, of course, it needed a better title, not something that presents it as something quite different.
There are detailed accounts of people who’ve claimed to possess supernatural powers: modern-day white-collar workers, monks, even inventors and scientists who seem to have developed a passion for the otherworldly. There are stories about buildings (including office buildings) which are supposed to be haunted. There are tales of vengeful ghosts, of persimmon trees that glow blue at night and sprout human hair, of rocks that speak to passersby …
While the modern beliefs in the supernatural etc are interesting, what I found irritating was that Ross (who, by the way, is a self-confessed mystic) provides almost no evidence that any of the activity and the supernatural feats she describes has any scientific basis to it. Recordings, scientific investigations into the concerned phenomena, etc, are invariably shown to be either inconclusive or (worse) supporting the supposed paranormality. Ross is obviously a convert, and believes wholeheartedly enough in the paranormal to not see the need for any scientific explanation for (or against) stuff like floating fireballs and pearls dropping out of people’s mouths and a doll growing hair.
As a recording, sans analysis, of Japanese dabblings in the paranormal, this works all right: it can be interesting, even entertaining. As an insightful examination of the phenomena it discusses, however, the book falls flat.
And, of course, it needed a better title, not something that presents it as something quite different.
March 19, 2018
The title of this book is rather misleading. The majority of the book looks at spiritual thought and practice in Japan. While this may be of interest to some readers, it's not very in depth. There are a few tales at the end but not as many as I had hoped. I would suggest searching for another book if you want to read some scary ghost stories.
May 2, 2018
The book's title is very misleading. The ghost stories we were promised were in the last two chapters...
October 1, 2018
An average collection. As quite short.
December 1, 2023
Some good ghost stories near the end
January 26, 2024
Many psychic cases that justifies mysticism with vague or convincing evidence. By the time I've actually gotten to the real ghost stories, my interest has dissolved and I just breezed through most of the pages with no second thought.
October 4, 2015
للتو انتهيت من كتاب japanese ghost stories , او قصص الأشباح اليابانيه ، بالنسبه لي العنوان وايد جذبني و انا وايد مهتمه بقصص الاشباح و خصوصاً اليابانيه لأن هم يبدعون بهالمجال شعب خياله واسع ، و بما انه مربوط بشكل او بآخر بالتاريخ هالكتب فرصه انكم تتعلمون عن ثقافات و تاريخ الشعوب ، لأن كل قصص الاشباح لها اصل يرجعون له ، الكاتب كتب الكتاب و بحث بهالموضوع بعد ما واجه حادثه خارقه للطبيعه لها خص بالاشباح لمن كان مسافر لليابان ،المهم فيه ٧ أجزاء ، قعد بالاربع الاجزاء الاولى ركز على الوسطاء الروحانيين ، و الشامان و اهمل جانب الاشباح ، تكلم عن معابد ، تكلم عن ديانات في اليابان تهتم بالاشباح ، تكلم عن الارواح المشهورة اليابانيه مثل الكابا kappa و التنغو tengu وصل للآلهه و الكائنات الفضائيه اهمل اهم جزئ الي هم الاشباح نفسهم
March 30, 2016
This is a very odd little book. The title is quite misleading, as the book does not retell ghost stories in a compelling or even a narrative way. Rather, it is a sort of slapdash "account of the supernatural" in Japan, but without any sense of scholarly criticism or skepticism either (in fact, the author seems perhaps to believe in what she describes). Some of the stories and places mentioned are compelling on their own, but are not treated in an approachable manner, either creatively or critically, in this book.
September 10, 2017
DNF... misleading title... snooze fest
February 17, 2018
Not great but definitely not very interesting either.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews