Incense in Japan is unique, due to it's place within the country's culture.  Primarily, it is known for its religious and meditative purposes, but in Japan, incense is an everyday enjoyment, with its own distinctive lore.  Important eras in Japanese history are not known by their religious associations as much as they are remembered by their ( Read more... )

日曜日
nichiyoubi
Sunday

So, we've arrived on the final day of Japanese Ghost Story Week.  Thank you so much for reading!  I hope you've been enjoying them.  I've had a ton of fun writing this week.  As always, if you want to read the rest of the stories, please find them here.  And if you have a blogspot and would like to follow me there, find me at dr- ( Read more... )

We're getting closer and closer to the end of Japanese Ghost Story Week.  I hope you've been enjoying it!  In case you missed any, feel free to see all of the entries here.

土曜日
doyoubi
Saturday

土 means earth.  Not the planet Earth, but physical earth, like soil, mud, and dirt.

So what is today's creature?  Is it a yōkai?  A ghost?  Or perhaps... a ( Read more... )

金曜日
kinyoubi
Friday

金 means "gold".

Today's focus is very different from the other stories I've told so far, in that it is neither really a ghost nor a yōkai (unless you count the opinion of Mizuki Shigeru, which really, you should...).  This story doesn't really adhere to the usual Japanese ghost story, yōkai story, or folktale.  Instead, it follows ( Read more... )

木曜日
mokuyoubi
Thursday

木 means "tree".  So I'll tell you about one of the (many) tree yōkai.  And while it is a yōkai, it is a very odd one, even by yōkai standards, as its story makes no sense.  Also, it has to do with humans in its appearance, as well as the history of it.  This thing's history deals with a great many humans, and also gives some ( Read more... )

水曜日
suiyoubi
Wednesday

Today's story is about 水, water.  It's a ghost story, but since the ghosts are popularly known, it sort of identifies itself as a yōkai, with distinctive appearance and patterns.


( Read more... )

Back for Day Two of Japanese Ghost Story Week.  If you missed Monday's installment and want to know what this is all about, please click here.

火曜日
kayoubi
Tuesday

Today's tale has to do with 火, fire.

I've actually told a bit of this tale before, here in the Kagrra, and Yoshitoshi entry.  However, I mainly told the kabuki version, dealing with the theme ( Read more... )

Today, you are reading the blog of a high-school graduate!  Maybe you can't tell...  I've also been registering for college, and will start next semester.  How exciting, despite my constant failures and procrastinations and dropping out of schools, I still managed to graduate early.  Which comes to today's entry, as I mentioned, regarding the ( Read more... )