Tales of Ghostly Japan

Tales of Ghostly Japan By Zack Davisson   昔In the summertime of old Japan, when the oppressive heat and humidity rendered daylight activity all but unbearable, people longed for the night and the scant relief brought by the setting sun. There, amidst a chorus of frogs and insects serenading the coming Obon, the people would […]

Ghoul Power

Ghoul Power By Jon Wilks   “The curse of one who dies in the grip of a powerful rage. It gathers and takes effect in the places that person was alive.”– Ju-on (2003) In the beginning, there was the man – salaryman, to give him his modern monicker. Over the centuries he’s been a samurai, a […]

The (Almost) Complete Japanzine Dictionary of Japan Sex

The (Almost) Complete Japanzine Dictionary of Japan Sex By Jon Wilks     A – Abe, Sada Few women could erotically asphyxiate their lover, remove his genitals with a household tool, walk “beaming with happiness” through the streets of Tokyo clutching said cock’n’balls in hand and still garner the sympathy of her compatriots. Yet that’s […]

The Suicide Woods of Mt. Fuji

The Suicide Woods of Mt. Fuji By Zack Davisson “The perfect place to die.” That’s how Aokigahara was described in Wataru Tsurumui’s bestselling book The Complete Manual of Suicide. A dense, dark forest bordering Mt. Fuji, Aokigahara is infamous throughout Japan as a popular spot for those taking their final journey. In 2002, 78 bodies […]

J-Horror An Alternative Guide

J-Horror: An Alternative Guide By Zack Davisson   There’s a lot more to Japanese horror than the vengeful, lank-haired spook-girls of Ring, Ju-on and their legion of imitators. Sure, the West may have only recently woken up to its charms, but J-horror has been around for a mighty long time. The first Japanese novel, The […]