The Appeal of Kaidan Tales of the Strange.

From: Asian Folklore Studies | Date: December 1, 2000| Author: REIDER, NORIKO T. | Copyright information

Abstract

Kaidan are tales of the strange and mysterious, often considered by contemporary Japanese to be frightening ghost stories. During the Edo period (1600-1867), kaidan enjoyed great popularity. Gatherings called hyakumonogatari kaidankai (Gatherings for One Hundred Kaidan Tales), in which people told one hundred stories to induce a supernatural phenomenon, were common among all classes of people. The popularity of oral-derived literature, which reflected the popula...

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