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Kwaidan：　　Stories　and　Studies　of　Strange　Things



By　Lafcadio　Hearn











A　Note　On　Japanese　Pronunciation





Although　simplified；　the　following　general　rules　will　help　the　reader

unfamiliar　with　Japanese　to　come　close　enough　to　Japanese　pronunciation。





There　are　five　vowels：　a　（as　in　fAther）；　i　（as　in　machIne）；　u　（as　in

fOOl）；　e　（as　in　fEllow）；　and　o　（as　in　mOle）。　Although　certain　vowels　become

nearly　〃silent〃　in　some　environments；　this　phenomenon　can　be　safely　ignored

for　the　purpose　at　hand。





Consonants　roughly　approximate　their　corresponding　sounds　in　English；

except　for　r；　which　is　actually　somewhere　between　r　and　l　（this　is　why　the

Japanese　have　trouble　distinguishing　between　English　r　and　l）；　and　f；　which

is　much　closer　to　h。





The　spelling　〃KWAIDAN〃　is　based　on　premodern　Japanese　pronunciation；　when

Hearn　came　to　Japan；　the　orthography　reflecting　this　pronunciation　was

still　in　use。　　In　modern　Japanese　the　word　is　pronounced　KAIDAN。








KWAIDAN：　Stories　and　Studies　of　Strange　Things



By　Lafcadio　Hearn





TABLE　OF　CONTENTS



THE　STORY　OF　MIMI…NASHI…HOICHI

OSHIDORI

THE　STORY　OF　O…TEI

UBAZAKURA

DIPLOMACY

OF　A　MIRROR　AND　A　BELL

JIKININKI

MUJINA

ROKURO…KUBI

A　DEAD　SECRET

YUKI…ONNA

THE　STORY　OF　AOYAGI

JIU…ROKU…ZAKURA

THE　DREAM　OF　AKINOSUKE

RIKI…BAKA

HI…MAWARI

HORAI



　　　　　INSECT　STUDIES

BUTTERFLIES

MOSQUITOES

ANTS





INTRODUCTION







The　publication　of　a　new　volume　of　Lafcadio　Hearn's　exquisite　studies　of

Japan　happens；　by　a　delicate　irony；　to　fall　in　the　very　month　when　the

world　is　waiting　with　tense　expectation　for　news　of　the　latest　exploits　of

Japanese　battleships。　Whatever　the　outcome　of　the　present　struggle　between

Russia　and　Japan；　its　significance　lies　in　the　fact　that　a　nation　of　the

East；　equipped　with　Western　weapons　and　girding　itself　with　Western　energy

of　will；　is　deliberately　measuring　strength　against　one　of　the　great　powers

of　the　Occident。　No　one　is　wise　enough　to　forecast　the　results　of　such　a

conflict　upon　the　civilization　of　the　world。　The　best　one　can　do　is　to

estimate；　as　intelligently　as　possible；　the　national　characteristics　of　the

peoples　engaged；　basing　one's　hopes　and　fears　upon　the　psychology　of　the

two　races　rather　than　upon　purely　political　and　statistical　studies　of　the

complicated　questions　involved　in　the　present　war。　The　Russian　people　have

had　literary　spokesmen　who　for　more　than　a　generation　have　fascinated　the

European　audience。　The　Japanese；　on　the　other　hand；　have　possessed　no　such

national　and　universally　recognized　figures　as　Turgenieff　or　Tolstoy。　They

need　an　interpreter。





It　may　be　doubted　whether　any　oriental　race　has　ever　had　an　interpreter

gifted　with　more　perfect　insight　and　sympathy　than　Lafcadio　Hearn　has

brought　to　the　translation　of　Japan　into　our　occidental　speech。　His　long

residence　in　that　country；　his　flexibility　of　mind；　poetic　imagination；　and

wonderfully　pellucid　style　have　fitted　him　for　the　most　delicate　of

literary　tasks。　Hi　has　seen　marvels；　and　he　has　told　of　them　in　a　marvelous

way。　There　is　scarcely　an　aspect　of　contemporary　Japanese　life；　scarcely　an

element　in　the　social；　political；　and　military　questions　involved　in　the

present　conflict　with　Russia　which　is　not　made　clear　in　one　or　another　of

the　books　with　which　he　has　charmed　American　readers。





He　characterizes　Kwaidan　as　〃stories　and　studies　of　strange　things。〃　A

hundred　thoughts　suggested　by　the　book　might　be　written　down；　but　most　of

them　would　begin　and　end　with　this　fact　of　strangeness。　To　read　the　very

names　in　the　table　of　contents　is　like　listening　to　a　Buddhist　bell；　struck

somewhere　far　away。　Some　of　his　tales　are　of　the　long　ago；　and　yet　they

seem　to　illumine　the　very　souls　and　minds　of　the　little　men　who　are　at　this

hour　crowding　the　decks　of　Japan's　armored　cruisers。　But　many　of　the

stories　are　about　women　and　children；　the　lovely　materials　from　which　the

best　fairy　tales　of　the　world　have　been　woven。　They　too　are　strange；　these

Japanese　maidens　and　wives　and　keen…eyed；　dark…haired　girls　and　boys；　they

are　like　us　and　yet　not　like　us；　and　the　sky　and　the　hills　and　the　flowers

are　all　different　from　our。　Yet　by　a　magic　of　which　Mr。　Hearn；　almost　alone

among　contemporary　writers；　is　the　master；　in　these　delicate；　transparent；

ghostly　sketches　of　a　world　unreal　to　us；　there　is　a　haunting　sense　of

spiritual　reality。





In　a　penetrating　and　beautiful　essay　contributed　to　the　〃Atlantic　Monthly〃

in　February；　1903；　by　Paul　Elmer　More；　the　secret　of　Mr。　Hearn's　magic　is

said　to　lie　in　the　fact　that　in　his　art　is　found　〃the　meeting　of　three

ways。〃　〃To　the　religious　instinct　of　India　　Buddhism　in　particular；

which　history　has　engrafted　on　the　aesthetic　sense　of　Japan；　Mr。　Hearn

brings　the　interpreting　spirit　of　occidental　science；　and　these　three

traditions　are　fused　by　the　peculiar　sympathies　of　his　mind　into　one　rich

and　novel　compound；　a　compound　so　rare　as　to　have　introduced　into

literature　a　psychological　sensation　unknown　before。〃　Mr。　More's　essay

received　the　high　praise　of　Mr。　Hearn's　recognition　and　gratitude；　and　if

it　were　possible　to　reprint　it　here；　it　would　provide　a　most　suggestive

introduction　to　these　new　stories　of　old　Japan；　whose　substance　is；　as　Mr。

More　has　said；　〃so　strangely　mingled　together　out　of　the　austere　dreams　of

India　and　the　subtle　beauty　of　Japan　and　the　relentless　science　of　Europe。〃



March；　1904。



　　　　　　　　　　　　=　=　=　=　=　=　=　***　=　=　=　=　=　=　=







Most　of　the　following　Kwaidan；　or　Weird　Tales；　have　been　taken　from　old

Japanese　books；　such　as　the　Yaso…Kidan；　Bukkyo…Hyakkwa…Zensho；

Kokon…Chomonshu；　Tama…Sudare；　and　Hyaku…Monogatari。　Some　of　the　stories　may

have　had　a　Chinese　origin：　the　very　remarkable　〃Dream　of　Akinosuke；〃　for

example；　is　certainly　from　a　Chinese　source。　But　the　story…teller；　in　every

case；　has　so　recolored　and　reshaped　his　borrowing　as　to　naturalize　it。。。

One　queer　tale；　〃Yuki…Onna；〃　was　told　me　by　a　farmer　of　Chofu；

Nishitama…gori；　in　Musashi　province；　as　a　legend　of　his　native　village。

Whether　it　has　ever　been　written　in　Japanese　I　do　not　know；　but　the

extraordinary　belief　which　it　records　used　certainly　to　exist　in　most　parts

of　Japan；　and　in　many　curious　forms。。。　The　incident　of　〃Riki…Baka〃　was　a

personal　experience；　and　I　wrote　it　down　almost　exactly　as　it　happened；

changing　only　a　family…name　mentioned　by　the　Japanese　narrator。



L。H。



Tokyo；　Japan；　January　20th；　1904。









KWAIDAN







THE　STORY　OF　MIMI…NASHI…HOICHI







More　than　seven　hundred　years　ago；　at　Dan…no…ura；　in　the　Straits　of

Shimonoseki；　was　fought　the　last　battle　of　the　long　contest　between　the

Heike；　or　Taira　clan；　and　the　Genji；　or　Minamoto　clan。　There　the　Heike

perished　utterly；　with　their　women　and　children；　and　their　infant　emperor

likewise　　now　remembered　as　Antoku　Tenno。　And　that　sea　and　shore　have

been　haunted　for　seven　hundred　years。。。　Elsewhere　I　told　you　about　the

strange　crabs　found　there；　called　Heike　crabs；　which　have　human　faces　on

their　backs；　and　are　said　to　be　the　spirits　of　the　Heike　warriors　＇1＇。　　But

there　are　many　strange　things　to　be　seen　and　heard　along　that　coast。　On

dark　nights　thousands　of　ghostly　fires　hover　about　the　beach；　or　flit　above

the　waves；　pale　lights　which　the　fishermen　call　Oni…bi；　or　demon…fires；

and；　whenever　the　winds　are　up；　a　sound　of　great　shouting　comes　from　that

sea；　like　a　clamor　of　battle。





In　former　years　the　Heike　were　much　more　restless　than　they　now　are。　They

would　rise　about　ships　passing　in　the　night；　and　try　to　sink　them；　and　at

all　times　they　would　watch　for　swimmers；　to　pull　them　down。　It　was　in　order

to　appease　those　dead　that　the　Buddhist　temple；　Amidaji；　was　built　at

Akamagaseki　＇2＇。　A　cemetery　also　was　made　close　by；　near　the　beach；　and

within　it　were　set　up　monuments　inscribed　with　the　names　of　the　drowned

emperor　and　of　his　great　vassals；　and　Buddhist　services　were　regularly

performed　there；　on　behalf　of　the　spirits　of　them。　After　the　temple　had

been　built；　and　the　tombs　erected；　the　Heike　gave　less　trouble　than　before；

but　they　continued　to　do　queer　things　at　intervals；　proving　that　they　had

not　found　the　perfect　peace。







Some　centuries　ago　there　lived　at　Akamagaseki　a　blind　man　named　Hoichi；

who　was　famed　for　his　skill　in　recitation　and　in　playing　upon　the　biwa　＇3＇。

》From　childhood　he　had　been　trained　to　recite　and　to　play；　and　while　yet　a

lad　he　had　surpassed　his　teachers。　As　a　professional　biwa…hoshi　he　became

famous　chiefly　by　his　recitations　of　the　history　of　the　Heike　and　the

Genji；　and　it　is　said　that　when　he　sang　the　song　of　the　battle　of

Dan…no…ura　〃even　the　goblins　＇kijin＇　could　not　refrain　from　tears。〃





At　the　outset　of　his　career；　Hoichi　was　very　poor；　but　he　found　a　good

friend　to　help　him。　The　priest　of　the　Amid