New Release Information NHK’s morning drama “Bakebake” is also a hot topic! Enjoy Lafcadio Hearn’s masterpiece in a picture book. The second volume of the Lafcadio Hearn Picture Book Series, “Miminashi Hoichi” (original story by Lafcadio Hearn, ada

[New Release Information] Featured in the NHK morning drama “Bakeke”! Enjoy Lafcadio Hearn’s masterpiece in a picture book. The second volume of the Yakumo Picture Book Series, “Miminashi Hoichi” (original story by Lafcadio Hearn, adapted by Toh Enjoe, illustrated by Yuka Nagata, edited by Masao Azuma) is now on sale. ​
Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 17, 2025 [New Book Information] Also a hot topic in the NHK morning drama “Bakeke”! Enjoy Lafcadio Hearn’s masterpiece in this picture book. The second volume of the Yakumo Picture Book Series, “Miminashi Hoichi” (original story by Lafcadio Hearn, adapted by Toh Enjoe, illustrated by Yuka Nagata, edited by Masao Azuma) is now on sale. Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Komatsuzaki Keiko, Head Office: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) will release “Miminashihoichi” (Yakumo Picture Book 2) on October 21, 2025.
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Also a hot topic in the NHK morning drama “Bake-ke”! Enjoy Lafcadio Hearn through picture books, volume 2! ◎Also a hot topic in the NHK morning drama “Bake-ke,” which will start in October 2025. ◎The scary stories of Lafcadio Hearn, the great man who popularized Japanese ghost stories as “Kwaidan” around the world, are now available as a picture book! ◎This will answer your curiosity about what kind of scary stories Lafcadio Hearn wrote. ◎The adaptation was by Toh Enjoe, an author who translates ghost stories with a fresh approach. ◎Supervised by Masao Azuma, well-known for his Ghost Story Picture Book series! This time too, the story is filled with relentless supernatural horror! ◆Who is Koizumi Yakumo? Koizumi Yakumo, also known as Patrick Lafcadio Hearn in English, was born on June 27, 1850 (Kaei 3) on the Greek island of Lefkada, one of the Ionian Islands. Hearn was the second son of an Irish military doctor and a Greek mother. After immigrating to the United States alone, Hearn
established himself as a newspaper reporter and literary critic. After a stint in the West Indies, he arrived in Japan on April 4, 1890 (Meiji 23). Fascinated by Japan’s culture, which values ​​ancient traditions and folklore, Hearn devoted himself to his own unique Japanese studies while working as a university lecturer. Upon marrying his wife, Setsu, he changed his name to “Koizumi Yakumo” and became a naturalized Japanese citizen. He wrote numerous classic works, including “Kwaidan” (Ghost Stories) and “Kotto” (Antiques). ●Contents Every night, a warrior in armor visits the blind biwa priest, Hoichi. He wants to hear you play the biwa, and asks you to play the “Battle of Dan-no-ura.” However, Hoichi seems to be getting thinner with each visit…
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-f06207e2d4a27334568c5e519e6a13b4-640×427.jpg Main text
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-27e64fce21377afdc5a2e227e2b3d67b-640×427.jpg Main text “The Story of Earless Hoichi” is the opening story in Yakumo’s final publication, “Kwaidan,” a masterpiece collection of short stories written in his final years. This is one of Hearn’s best-known masterpieces. This book depicts some of the most famous scenes from the classic “Kwaidan” (Kwaidan) with new brushwork by Toh Enjoe and powerful illustrations by Yuka Nagata. This book will also serve as an opportunity to learn about Japanese ghost story culture. ●Bibliographic information
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-3b6a981ed1074f7d8b7a59b5c3fb2000-1500×2005.jpg Cover Book title: Miminashi Hoichi Author name: Yakumo Koizumi, original work Enjo Tower/Adaptation Illustrated by Yuka Nagata Edited by Masao Azuma Publisher: Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd. Price: ¥1,760 (¥1,600 tax) Format: A4 variable Page count: 32 Distribution date: October 17, 2025 Release date: October 21, 2025 ISBN:
978-4-265-09251-2 Iwasaki Shoten product page:
https://www.iwasakishoten.co.jp/book/b10145071.html Product
introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gIHj1Nvg1Hs ●Author introduction Adapted by Toh Enjo Born in Hokkaido. Writer. He won the 104th Bungakukai Newcomer’s Prize for “Of the Baseball” (Bunshun Bunko), the 32nd Noma Literary Newcomer’s Prize for “Uyoushitan” (Kodansha), the 146th Akutagawa Prize for “Clown’s Butterfly” (Kodansha), the 33rd Japan Science Fiction Grand Prize Special Award and the 44th Seiun Prize Japanese Novel Category for “Empire of Corpses” (co-authored with Project Itoh / Kawade Bunko), the 43rd Kawabata Yasunari Literary Prize and the 39th Japan Science Fiction Grand Prize for “Moji Uzu” (Shinchosha), and the 76th Yomiuri Literature Prize for “Code Buddha” (Bungeishunju). His other works include “Last Year, at Honnoji” (Shinchosha). Illustrations by Yuka Osada Born in 1991 and raised in Yamanashi Prefecture. Illustrator and manga artist. Graduated from the Department of Design, Faculty of Art, Tokyo Polytechnic University. Her work spans a wide range, including book illustrations, manga creation, and contributions to museum promotional materials. His works include the manga “Soko to Kashiko” and “Bouquet and Pencil – [Series] Soko to Kashiko” (both published by Kobunsha), and “A Fun Introduction to Edo Painting: Exploring the Charm of “Oshi” Through Manga” (supervised by Nobuhisa
Kaneko/Kodansha). Edited by Higashi Masao Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. Anthologist and literary critic. He has served as editor-in-chief of “Fantasy Literature” and “Yu.” He won the 64th Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Criticism and Others) for his book “The Tales of Tono and the Age of Ghost Stories” (Kadokawa Sensho). His compilations include “Selected Masterpieces of Ghost Stories by Literary Masters” (Chikuma Shobo), “Palm-of-the-Hand Ghost Stories” (Poplar Publishing), “The Complete Inaba Mononoke” (Mainichi Shimbun), “Heisei Era Masterpieces of Horror Novels,” “Selected Masterpieces of Ghost Stories by Literary Masters,” and “Cat Illusions, Cat Deceptions” (Tokyo Sogensha). He is the editor of the series “Ghost Story Picture Books,” “Kyogoku Natsuhiko’s Ghost Picture Books,” and “Suspicious Cat Picture Book Series,” all published by Iwasaki Shoten. Yakumo Picture Book Original work by Yakumo Koizumi / Edited by Masao Higashi
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-d853dd96b4925154f666df41f3451646-1500×2001.jpg A Tale of Karma (Yakumo Picture Book 1) Adapted by Toh Enjoe Illustrations by Manabu Nakagawa
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-3dd176078e7eabd7b03f1e7ae9f7b063-1500×2005.jpg Miminashi Hoichi (Yakumo Picture Book 2) Adapted by Enjoe Toh, illustrated by Nagata Yuka
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-c0884ce6a39742624670262d33f75643-1500×2002.jpg Mujina (Yakumo Picture Book 3) Adapted by Tanabe Seiga, illustrated by Takabatake Nao, scheduled for publication in November 2025 Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35751/410/35751-410-37718dc64d2dd58c4eadb32ec7077c3b-121×159.jpg The Legend of the Ghost Tree (Yakumo Picture Book 4) Adapted by Tanabe Seiga, illustrated by Takabatake Nao, scheduled for publication in March 2026 *Release dates may vary by store depending on product availability. Sales locations: Bookstores nationwide, online bookstores, etc.