The entire fascinating story of Japan told in one exciting manga-style volume! A History of Japan in Manga tells the action-packed saga of Japan from its misty origins up to the present day. Epic battles, noble Samurai and duplicitous leaders are all portrayed in modern manga fashion! The lively stories in this book include: The Dawn of Japan: The Birth of Buddhism and the transition from hunters--gatherers to agricultural societies of ancient times The Genpei Wars: Davage battles between the Taira and Minamoto clans that led to the powerful warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo naming himself Japan's first Shogun The Onin Wars: A decade-long struggle for domination of Japan in which thousands of Samurai fought and tragically lost their lives The 47 Ronin: Loyal Samurai who vowed to avenge the death of their master, choosing honor over surrender and being forced to commit mass ritual suicide as a result The Satsuma Rebellion: A dramatic last stand by Samurai loyal to the Shogun who revolted against the new Meiji government and its plans to finally modernize Japan And many more! Dozens of indelible portraits, manga stories, maps and info-sidebars bring the full sweep of Japanese history to life in one easy-to-read book!

Since time immemorial, Japan has been inhabited by supernatural creatures, spirits, monsters and demons...Here's your chance to meet them up close and personal! Strange Japanese Yokai assembles an extraordinary collection of mysterious creatures in every possible shape and size, each with their own unique back story. Some are well-known, others obscure. The one thing they share in common is that they are creepy and weird! The 122 different Yokai described in this book include: The Kappa: A dangerous creature who lives in lakes and rivers and attacks passers-by The Nurarihyon: A mysterious Yokai with a huge head who steals food, tobacco and alcohol The Yadokai: A mischievous former monk who wanders at night vandalizing and being a pest The Ohaguru:A scary Yokai with black teeth who looks like a beautiful woman from afar until she gets closer, smiles, and reveals herself And over 100 more! Yokai expert Kenji Murakami identifies each Yokai, explains the history, where they commonly appear, and their strange powers. The book is illustrated with hundreds of full-color drawings showcasing the fascinating features of these strange creatures. Every monster here, no matter how disgusting, is part of the rich cultural legacy of Japan. *Recommended for readers ages 14 & up*

The beloved mangaka adapts one of his country - and the world's - great works of supernatural literature Shigeru Mizuki--Japan's grand master of yokai comics--adapts one of the most important works of supernatural literature into comic book form. The cultural equivalent of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Tono Monogatari is a defining text of Japanese folklore and one of the country's most important works of literature. This graphic novel was created during the later stage of Mizuki's career, after he had retired from the daily grind of commercial comics to create personal, lasting works of art. Originally written in 1910 by folklorists and field researchers Kunio Yanagita and Kizen Sasaki, Tono Monogatari celebrates and archives legends from the Tono region. These stories were recorded as Japan's rapid modernization led to the disappearance of traditional culture. This adaptation mingles the original text with autobiography: Mizuki attempts to retrace Yanagita and Sasaki's path, but finds his old body is not quite up to the challenge of following in their footsteps. As Mizuki wanders through Tono he retells some of the most famous legends, manifesting a host of monsters, dragons, and foxes. In the finale, Mizuki meets Yanagita himself and they sit down to discuss their works. Translated and with additional essays by Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson, Tono Monogatari displays Mizuki at his finest, exploring the world he most cherished.

Sixteen mythical monsters and spirits from Japanese folklore take children on fantastical adventures in this first-ever children’s storybook about yokai. Young readers will meet baku the dream eater, mischievous kappa sprites, a ghost child who lives in a hotel, and many more. Yokai have a rich history dating back centuries in Japan, and today, they can be found in monstercatching video games and animated films. Yokai Stories is the first book to weave Japan’s monster mythology into English-language stories for children. Each tale is accompanied by a haunting, modern portrait of the yokai by Swiss artist Eleonora D’Onofrio.

Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon is the second volume in the adventures of Shigeru Mizuki s bizarre yokai boy Kitaro and his gaggle of other- worldly friends. These seven stories date from the golden age of Gegege no Kitaro, when Mizuki had perfected the balance of folklore, comedy, and horror that made Kitaro one of Japan s most beloved characters. In Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon, Kitaro and his father Medama Oyaji face off against one of their most powerful enemies the self-styled Yokai Supreme Commander known as Nurarihyon. Over the course of this volume, Kitaro takes on the swamp-dwelling Sawa Kozo, the mysterious Diamond Yokai, the sea giant called Umizato, and wages a double-feature of battles against the bizarre Odoro Odoro. Finally, Kitaro journeys to hell itself in the infamous and surreal story Hell Ride. In addition to more than 150 pages of Mizuki s all-ages monster fun, Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon includes bonus materials: Yokai Files that introduce Japan's folklore monsters and a 'History of Kitaro' essay by translator Zack Davisson. If you found the world of yoki fascinating in the The Birth of Kitaro, you will find even more to love in Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon!

"I lived in a haunted apartment." Davisson opens this definitive work on Japan's ghosts, or yurei, with a personal tale about the spirit world. Shifting from anecdotes to deep research to translation of ancient ghost stories, he explores the persistence of yurei in modern Japan and their continued popularity throughout the West. Color images of yurei appear throughout the book.

The Birth Of Kitaro collects seven of Shigeru Mizuki's early, and beloved, Kitaro stories, making them available for the first time in English, in an all-new, format. These stories are from the golden era of the late 1960s, when Gegege no Kitaro truly hit its stride as an all-ages supernatural series. Mizuki's Kitaro stories are both timelessly relevant and undeniably influential, inspiring a decades-long boom in stories about yokai, Japanese ghosts and monsters. Kitaro's Birthday reveals the origin story of the yokai boy Kitaro and his tiny eyeball father, Medama Oyaji. Neko Musume versus Nezumi Otoko is the first of Mizuki's stories to feature the popular recurring character Neko Musume, a little girl who transforms into a cat when she gets angry or hungry. Other stories in The Birth of Kitaro draw heavily from Japanese folklore, with Kitaro taking on legendary Japanese yokai like the Nopperabo and Makura Gaeshi, and fighting the monstrous recurring villain Gyuki. The Birth of Kitaro is the perfect introduction to award-winning author Shigeru Mizuki's most popular series, seminal comics that have won the hearts of Japanese children and adults for more than half a century.

The final showdown for the legendary yokai! In the seventh volume of Shigeru Mizuki's defining series, our beloved hero Kitaro stands accused of exposing the secret yokai world on television. He is put on trial for crimes against yokai. Witnesses are called from both sides, but when Nezumi Otoko takes the stand, all bets are off. Will Nezumi Otoko be for Kitaro or against him? Only the biggest bribe will tell! The Trial of Kitaro features five bizarre and amusing adventures. In every story, Kitaro has his hands full. He faces off against Kasha, a vicious demon cat; tries to quell a magical cooking pot; battes a sea monster; and solves the mystery of a three-eyed bird. This volume features comics from the late 1960s, which was the golden age of GeGeGe no Kitaro. These stories appear in English for the first time in a kid-friendly edition, with translations by the Mizuki scholar and series translator Zack Davisson. The Trial of Kitaro also concludes Davisson's "History of Kitaro" essay and offers another round of "Yokai Files," which introduce the folklore of Japan's monsters and supernatural beings. This final volume of Mizuki's renowned Kitaro series is not to be missed!

The spooky yokai boy Kitaro is back for his sixth book, and this time he has a pile of monsters to beat Featuring seven stories by Japan's beloved monster master Shigeru Mizuki, Kitaro's Yokai Battles features some of Kitaro's strangest foes yet--including his good pal Nezumi Otoko, who decides that he should be the star of the comic. With friends like these . . . who needs enemies? But enemies seem to be all Kitaro has. He faces off against villains like the yokai Hoko--who has an evil scheme to corner the market on pickled daikon radish--and the Amifuri Tengu, who always brings the rain. Things get hairy in "The Great Hair Battle," when Medama Oyaji's friend Kemedama begs for Kitaro's help against an attack of giant wigs. The massive mud monster Dorotabo gets down and dirty with Kitaro, and the red-tongued Akashita swoops down from above. And these are just a few yokai from the hilarious cast of characters in Kitaro's Yokai Battles. The stories in this volume are collected from the late-1960s golden age of Gegege no Kitaro, and appear here in English for the first time in a kid-friendly edition, uncut and unedited, with translations by the Mizuki scholar Zack Davisson. In addition, there are bonus features like "Yokai Files," which introduce the folklore of Japanese monsters, and the sixth installment of the "History of Kitaro" essay by the series translator Davisson. Kitaro's Yokai Battles is the perfect blend of humor and horror.