STRANGE LIGHT AFAR

A bitterly jealous brother, a cold-hearted husband, a monk who mistakes desire for piety, a fraudulent merchant who meets his match in a supernatural river otter, a samurai who makes the ultimate sacrifice - the motives underlying these traditional Japanese folktale characters are explored with haunting results.

Prompted by the sometimes illogical actions of folktale characters, master storyteller Rui Umezawa revisits eight popular Japanese folktales, delving
beneath the surface to highlight the psychological motivations behind the characters' actions.

Evocative and haunting illustrations by the stunningly talented Mikiko Fujita add to the eerie beauty of this collection. A detailed afterword outlines the author's storytelling approach and provides source material for each tale.