[The groundbreaking series on research into supernatural phenomena and monsters is complete!] The final volume of the “Collection of Supernatural and Monster Studies (6 volumes)” is now available, bringing together fresh, fascinating, and must-read articles, primarily published since 2000.
Kawade Shobo Shinsha Press release: September 30, 2025 To Members of the Press [The groundbreaking series on research into supernatural phenomena and monsters comes to an end! The final volume of the “Collection of Strange and Monster Studies (6 volumes)” is now available, bringing together fresh, fascinating, and must-read articles, primarily published since 2000. Leading editors have put together a best-of selection of important essays essential for future research. A special message from the editors and supervisors is included to mark the conclusion of the series!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12754/1055/12754-1055-810e496766da1d3d68f6a95cc8fd67f3-1327×917.jpg Kawade Shobo Shinsha Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Masaru Onodera) released the final volume of the new “Strange and Monster Studies Collection (6 volumes)” series, supervised by Kazuhiko Komatsu, titled “Volume 3: Strange and Monsters Living in the Modern World,” on September 29, 2025. This marks the completion of the series. As “Strange and Monster Studies” establishes itself as a new field in the humanities, the full picture of this groundbreaking series, in which cutting-edge editors have carefully selected important essays essential for future research, has now been revealed. ■Message from the Editors The study of supernatural phenomena and monsters has entered a new era. With the rapid advances in interdisciplinary research and research that reflects
digitalization, it is no exaggeration to say that the study of supernatural phenomena and monsters has established itself as a new field in the humanities. We present special messages from Kazuhiko Komatsu, who oversaw the series, and the editors of each volume of this series who are active at the forefront of research. ★Supervised the entire series Kazuhiko Komatsu “I am truly pleased that the ‘Mystery and Ghost Studies Collection’ has been successfully completed. As I helped with the editing of each volume, I was amazed to see how research into the supernatural and monster-like phenomena has progressed far beyond my imagination over the past quarter century. There’s a sense of enthusiasm, as if pioneering a new field of research. And it seems to be a joyous endeavor. “Folklore of the Supernatural” (first published 2000-2001, new edition 2022, published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha) and the “Collection of Supernatural and Monster-Research” show how modern Japanese people have revived the suppressed supernatural and monster-like phenomena, ghosts, and otherworldly realms as a way of expressing their own feelings. But what exactly is depicted there? More questions arise one after another. This collection marks a milestone, but it’s also a stepping stone for even more fruitful progress in the future, and I sincerely hope that this will be the case. Good luck, supernatural and monster-researchers! ” ★In charge of Volume 1, “What are Mystery and Monsters?”, which focuses on the concept of yokai, methodology, and comparative research. Ryuhei Hirota (Daito Bunka University) “Currently, research into supernatural phenomena and monsters spans a wide range of fields, making it difficult to grasp the overall picture. This series is designed to provide an overview of this situation and serve as a foothold for tackling the countless mysteries that remain unsolved. Each volume contains a variety of essays, but the editors’ general comments also offer a variety of starting points. We hope that young people will use this series as a starting point to forge unexpected paths.” ★Also in charge of Volume 1 Manami Yasui (International Research Center for Japanese Studies) “If someone asked you, ‘What are yokai?’ How would you answer? By reading this series, you’ll understand what yokai are and what their history is. Questions like “What is the difference between a ghost and a monster?” are answered one after another. No matter which volume you open, you will make new discoveries, and it is fascinating to see how these discoveries connect. Yokai (ghosts) have become an essential part of pop culture and are hugely popular overseas as well. This series will be a great opportunity for those who are interested in yokai, as well as those who have never been interested before, to take a step into the world of the supernatural and the monsters. ” ★In charge of Volume 2, “Mystery and Monsters in History,” which deals with research on history (ancient to modern times) Takatoshi Kiba (Kyoto University of Advanced Science) “During the approximately 30 years since the 1990s, which this series covers, research on supernatural phenomena and monsters has progressed in many different ways. The editors have painstakingly selected a selection of important but currently difficult-to-obtain works, including those not available online, those found in out-of-print books, and those published overseas. Please feel free to read from any part that interests you. If you would like to know even more, please refer to the related research introduced in the “Overview” and “Commentary.” Supernatural phenomena and monsters are a subject with many areas that still need to be explored. If you are interested, why not take the plunge and delve into the field of research? ” ★In charge of Volume 3, “Modern-Day Mystery and Monsters,” which captures the changes in the media environment in the internet age. Yoshiyuki Iikura (Kokugakuin University) “The Collection of Strange and Monster Studies” is a project that follows on from “Folklore of the Strange” (first published 2000-2001, new edition 2022). “Folklore of the Strange” collected important papers on the study of strange and monster phenomena over the past 100 years since the Meiji era into 8 volumes. This series tearfully discarded many important papers on the study of strange and monster phenomena from 2000 onward, and somehow managed to compile them into 6 volumes. Isn’t that amazing? During the editing process, I realized that the study of strange and monster phenomena has developed more in the 25 years of the 21st century than it did in the 1000s. I think this is the result of a shift in the way we look at superstition and monsters from “superstition” to “culture.” However, this series is also a summary of paper-based, analog-based research on superstition and monsters. I hope that the digital native generation will use this series as a springboard to conduct more research on superstition and monsters. Seriously. ” ★In charge of Volume 4, “Mystery and Monsters in Literature,” which covers literary and artistic perspectives. Shingo Ito (Hirosaki Gakuin University) “The essays in this collection are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the study of supernatural phenomena and monsters. However, we’ve collected some of the finest essays (we’re proud of that!), and they will serve as a guide for future monster studies. It’s sure to be a great introduction, especially for young people. Since this field of study is still young, it has the potential to grow in any direction. Give it a try. What kind of research would you like to pursue?” ★In charge of Volume 5, “Monsters and Monsters as Entertainment,” which deals with aspects of popular culture and fiction. Masanobu Kagawa (Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History) “When Professor Kazuhiko Komatsu asked me to help him create an anthology of yokai research from the 2000s onward, I proposed reaching out to leading researchers in current yokai research and entrusting each of them with editing one volume. This series, compiled by a group worthy of being called the “Yokai Research Avengers,” has turned out to be a rich and fulfilling work. These researchers have delved even deeper into the path blazed by Professor Komatsu, and I hope that young people who pick up this anthology will follow in his footsteps.” ” ★In charge of Volume 6, “Natural History of Mysterious and Monsters,” which explores individual characters. Ryuhei Ito (Kokugakuin University) “This series is a must-read for anyone interested in studying the supernatural and supernatural. It’s easy to read for beginners, yet packed with insightful essays that are engaging for experts, so you’ll never get bored turning the pages. Just skim the table of contents and start reading wherever you find interesting. Students studying this topic should especially keep this book by their bedside! Editing it was truly a fun job. What’s even more fun is meeting fellow readers who share my passion for strange things. If you’ve picked up this series, you’re already one of us (laughs).” ■Full table of contents published Here is the table of contents for all volumes. Start reading the essays that interest you and you’ll find yourself delving into a deep forest where mysterious things lurk. ■１ What is a monster/yokai?■ Overview: What are supernatural phenomena and monsters? (Ryuhei Hirota and Manami Yasui) 【I. Deepening and Reversal of the Concept of Yokai】 What are Mystery and Yokai? (Kazuhiko Komatsu) Objectification: Delusions about Supernatural Beings and Monsters (Kyogoku Natsuhiko) The Multiple Ontologies of Monsters: A Critical Examination of the Ontological Assumptions in Monster Studies (Hirota Ryuhei) Preserving Awe: A Study of Sharing Emotions (Goto Haruko) Yogurt Studies by Kunio Yanagita: Focusing on “Common Hallucinations” (Masanobu Kagawa) 【II. Approaches to Diversifying Yokai】 Imagination of the Eyes/Imagination of the Ears: The Possibilities of Lexical Research (Yamada Izuko) Strange Sounds and Ghosts: Hearing and Supernatural Phenomena (Tsunemitsu Toru) Body Parts of Japanese People Most Likely Targeted by Ghosts and Supernatural Phenomena (Yasui Manami) The Question of “Yokai”: A Research Note on Various Aspects of Responses in Research Sites (Fujisaka Akiko) 【III. Toward Global Comparative Yokai Studies】 Translating Yokai (Michael Dylan Foster) The Formation of the Visual Image of Korean “Dokkaebi” – Focusing on the Colonial Period, with a Comparison to Japanese “Oni” (Demons) (Park Mi-ho) Wonders and Mystery Between the Natural and Imaginary Worlds (Yuriko Yamanaka) Monster (Yasmin Mushabash/Translated by Ryuhei Hirota) Explanation (Ryuhei Hirota, Manami Yasui) ■2. Mysterious and Specter Monsters in History■ Overview: Mysterious and Mysterious Things in History (Takatoshi Kiba) 【I Ancient Times】 Mononoke, Monono Satoshi, Monogō, Kōi: A Glossary of Terms Related to Spirit Possession and Strange Phenomena (Masato Mori) Disasters, Strange Phenomena, and the Emperor (Katsuaki Yamashita) The “Mystery” Revolution of the Heian Period (Hiroyuki Enomura) The Idea of Vengeful Spirits (Yuji Yamada) 【II Middle Ages】 Introduction to the Study of Paranormal Science (Yuji Nishiyama Katsu) Tengu ── Spiritual history of “devil” (Yasuro Abe) Noh ghosts and thoughts (Yuki Minamimoto) 【III Early Modern Period】 Coexistence with the Supernatural: What Blooms in “Yadochokusa” (Tsutsumi Kunihiko) The Nabeshima Cat Incident: The Narrative of a Family Dispute and the Supernatural (Takano Shinji) “Yokai” in Edo Culture (Kiba Takatoshi) A Study of the Spider’s Mound (Murakami Norio) A Study of Toriyama Sekien’s “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” (Yokoyama Yasuko) 【IV Modern】 Places and Times Where Yokai Appear (Takahiro Sasaki) Modern Ghost Stories (Hirotaka Ichiyanagi) Commentary (Takatoshi Kiba) ■３ Mysteries and monsters living in modern times■ Overview: Modern-Day Mystery and Monsters (Yoshiyuki Iikura) 【I. Modern Theories of Supernatural and Monsters】 Toilet Supernatural Stories in School Ghost Stories: Focusing on the Showa and Heisei Eras (Mayuko Oshima) The Supernatural Phenomena of “Naming” and “Knowledge”—Kesaranpasaran or Tensarabasara in the 1970s (Yoshiyuki Iikura) The Transformation of Ghosts and the Transformation of Cities—An Essay on Modern and Contemporary Folkloristic Research (Hiroyuki Takaoka) Human Fear and Curiosity about “Night”—Examples of Haunted Places and Ghost Tourism in Japan (Taiyo Yagasaki and Uehara Akira) 【II. Netlore──The Internet and Social Networking Sites as the Main Battlefield for Supernatural Beings and Monsters】 A Study of the Online Ghost Story “Kunekune”: On the Transmission of Everyday Talk (Ryuhei Ito) The Spread and Use of Live-Live Netlore in the Internet Society: A Comparison of
“Kuchisake-onna” and “Kisaragi Station” (Furuyama Mika) An Essay on the Dehumanization of Pseudo-Voices: The Emergence and Popularity of a Certain “Scary Story” (Hirota Ryuhei) 【III Yokai and the Economy】 Creating Yokai Culture in Yokai Town Revitalization — Focusing on Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture (Matsumura Kaoruko) Recreating Yokai and Their Modern Use — Focusing on Their Potential as Teaching Materials (Ichikawa Hiroya) Yokai/Figure Theory (Masanobu Kagawa) Prophetic Mythical Beasts: Focusing on Amabiko (Goichi Yumoto) Developing Shizuka Amabie: Practices in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture (Shinichi Ichino) Explanation (Yoshiyuki Iikura) ■4. Mysterious and Supernatural Beings in Literature■ General Overview: Mystery and Monsters in Literature (Shingo Ito) 【I The Creation of Spiritual Demons】 Rethinking Female Ghosts: From the “Nine Phases of the Spirit” to “Ghost Paintings” (Tanaka Takako) The original landscape of the child-carrying ghost image – Iconography of a memorial service for childbirth and death (Kunihiko Tsutsumi) The tale of slaying the king of evil roads: the materials and composition of the tale of slaying the demon in “Suzuka no Monogatari” (Hideyuki Ando) Early modern snow woman statue (Mizuho Hoshi) 【II FOX】 Foxfire tradition and haiku (Kurushima Hajime) “Tamamo no Soushi” and the origin story of Inuoumono (Shingo Ito) Tamamo-mae and Teruma-kagami: The formation of “fox demon extermination” in “Ehon Sangoku Yōfuden” and “Igahon Tamamotan” (Feng Chao-hong) 【III Tsuchigumo】 Ancient Tsuchigumo: Focusing on its religious nature (Kaori Yamazaki) The mechanism of “Tsuchigumo Soshi Emaki” (Kazuo Tokuda) 【IV 場所の怪異】 『今昔物語集』巻二十七第五話「冷泉院水精成人形被捕語」考──怪異の正体を中心に（崔 鵬偉） “The strangeness of castles” in early modern Japanese literature: What can be seen from manuscripts such as printed editions and early modern memoirs (Yosuke Kikuchi) Visualization of the “mysterious place” in Nisio Isin’s “Bakemonogatari” – Comparing the original work and the animation work (Yoshiyuki Iikura) 解題（伊藤慎吾） ■5 Mysteries and monsters as
entertainment■ General discussion: Mysteries and monsters as entertainment (Masanobu Kagawa) 【I Entertainment and Yokai】 Birth of a monster mansion (Shinya Hashizume) Yokai in play: Changes in the view of yokai in the late modern period (Masanobu Kagawa) [II Edo monster culture] A ghost story performed by an amateur: About the “yokai magic” of the Edo period (Yasuko Yokoyama) Genealogy of the Tofu Boy ──Focusing on the yellow cover (Adam Kabat) Playing with monsters ─ “Nanken but Monster Sugoroku” (Noriko Iwaki) Shunga, monster paintings, and Edo historical studies: On the visualization of “monsters” (Katahiro Suzuki) How to draw “yokai” – Sekien Toriyama’s method (Mizuki Kondo) [III Modern popular culture and monsters] A study on the establishment of the popular concept of “yokai” (Natsuhiko Kyogoku) From “spectacle” to “movie” ─ Shin Toho’s monster cat movie (Miyoko Shimura) The “Yokai Revolution” of the 1970s ─ Shigeru Mizuki’s “Introduction to All Youkai” (Jun Shimizu) Suspicion of Kamaitachi — Acceptance and development of vacuum theory of “Kamaitachi phenomenon” (Yoshiyuki Iikura) Creation of another world in the light novel Other World Reincarnated Creatures–Using the monster’s mixed Japanese and Western state as a clue (Shingo Ito) 解題（香川雅信） ■６ 怪異・妖怪の博物誌■ General discussion Natural history of ghosts and monsters (Ryuhei Ito) Natural history of monsters (Komine Kazuaki) The Great Sea Serpent of Edo (Ryuhei Ito) The Mystery of the Spiral: Earthquake Catfish and Disaster Folklore (Jun Saito) The story of “Cat Dance” at Odoriba, Izumi Ward, Yokohama City (Sayori Takatsuka) Thoughts on Kwan Kwan──Toward onomatopoeia as a method (Tetsu Daimon) Out of the “birthing room” ── Whereabouts of Kekkai (Itsuko Yamada) Thoughts on Kudan: Reexamining the image of modern “Kudan” (Shohei Oikawa) When you can see the Zashikiwarashi (Shuichi Kawashima) On the shape of the potter’s wheel neck in early modern culture (Yasuko Yokoyama) Roadside monster folklore: About Hokuriku’s “fishing bottle drop monster” (Kozo Matsumoto) Ethnographic study of monsters on Yoron Island (Mazzaro Veronica) About Kappa as told in Ainu oral literature (Yoichi Otani) 解題（伊藤龍平）
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supernatural and yōkai research. He has written many books, including “Theory of Possessed Spirits”, “Shinko of Yokai Studies” (Kodansha Academic Bunko), “Ijinron” (Chikuma Gakugei Bunko), “Introduction to Yokai Culture,” “The Otherworld and the Japanese,” and “Oni and the Japanese” (Kadokawa Sophia Bunko). ■ Bibliographic information “Mystery/Yokai Studies Collection” Kazuhiko Komatsu [Supervised] 〈Number of volumes/format〉 Specifications: Total 6 volumes / 46 variant format / Paperback / 340-392 pages each volume List price: 3,000 to 3,200 yen each (excluding tax) 〈Each volume composition〉 “1. What are ghosts and monsters?” Edited by Ryuhei Hirota and Manami Yasui https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309714813/ “2. Mysteries and monsters in history” Takatoshi Kiba [ed.]
https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309714820/ “3. Mysteries and monsters living in modern times” edited by Yoshiyuki Iikura
https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309714837/ “4. Mysteries and monsters in literature” edited by Shingo Ito
https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309714844/ “5. Mysteries and monsters as entertainment” edited by Masanobu Kagawa
https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309714851/ 『６ 怪異・妖怪の博物誌』伊藤龍平［編］ https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309714868/