Katie Moench is a librarian, runner, and lover of baked goods. A school librarian in the Upper Midwest, Katie lives with her husband and dog and spends her free time drinking coffee, trying new recipes, and adding to her TBR.
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Delve into one of Japan’s most cursed areas with About a Place in the Kinki Region, the Japanese creepy-pasta horror that shook the internet and inspired the movie!
Japanese horror novels are known for their psychological horror, a feeling of building suspense and dread, and the incorporation of Japanese folklore into stories featuring everyday protagonists. Often centered around everyday people who find themselves caught up in a web of horror, the genre has roots that are centuries old, that mix with other subgenres like detective fiction and locked-room mysteries. With such an extensive backlog, readers exploring the genre have a wealth of backlist titles, as well as new releases and, for English readers, books that are newly in translation.
In this list, you’ll find Japanese horror books that include a story of a murder that comes back to haunt a childhood friend group as adults, a quirky detective story featuring a family of funeral directors and the undead, and a new translation of a classic of the genre. There’s also a take on the haunted house trope, the story of a woman escaping captivity, and a collection of a novella and short stories that are horror through a feminist lens. Whichever new release you choose, you’re sure to be scared!
The Labyrinth House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, translated by Ho-Ling Wong
This novel is the third installment in the Bizarre House Mysteries, a classic series in Japanese literature that begins with The Decagon House Murders. Now available in a new English translation from Pushkin Vertigo, the series echoes Golden Age mystery themes, like locked rooms and remote islands. In The Labyrinth House Murders, a reclusive writer has invited four crime authors to his home, where they find themselves trapped within a deadly labyrinth as players in a dastardly game. Can detective Shimada Kiyoshi solve the mysteries of the Labyrinth House before there are no survivors?
Nails and Eyes by Kaori Fujino, translated by Kendall Heitzmann
This collection of a novella and short stories crafts chilling tales in the Japanese horror tradition through a feminist lens. In the central story, a child narrates the arrival of her stepmother with eerie precision and terrifying observations, while her new parent seems largely unaware of her presence. Translated into English for the first time, this collection heralds the unique literary voice of Fujino.
The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani, translated by Sam Bett
In 1979, Tokyo, outcast Yoriko Shindo is kidnapped by the Naiki-kai, a branch of the yakuza. After she fights off multiple men in an escape attempt, she is allowed to live under the condition that she becomes the bodyguard and personal driver for the gang boss’ daughter, Shoko Naiki. Recognizing that both she and Shoko are surrounded by men with a passion for violence, Yoriko becomes determined to use any means necessary to fight her way out of captivity and to a better life for both of them.
Strange Houses by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion
The latest book in mysterious author Uketsu’s series of works, Strange Houses centers around a writer who has recently been approached by an acquaintance regarding a house for sale in Tokyo. At first, the house seems like a perfect place to live, but when he begins to explore further, a mysterious crawl space in the walls is revealed. The writer shares the home’s blueprints with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only for them to discover further disturbing details, plus a dead body.
Death of the Living Dead by Masaya Yamaguchi, translated by Ho-Ling Wong
Yamaguchi, one of the masters of Japanese detective fiction, sets this chilling story in small-town New England, where the dead have begun to rise from their graves. When a series of murders shocks the town, a family of funeral directors must grapple with the mystery of who killed the dead, as well as why some of them are coming back to life. Darkly comic, this is a classic recently translated into English for the first time.
The Snow Ghost and Other Tales: Classic Japanese Ghost Stories, Various Contributors
If you’d like to explore the folklore that underlies many Japanese horror books, pick up this collection of Japanese ghost stories. This collection, created by folklorists, is both well researched and well-written and contains many of the most well-known tales of haunted Japanese folklore, as well as lesser-known stories.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Japanese horror novels or this is your first introduction to the subgenre, Book Riot has plenty of recommendations for you! Check out this introduction to Japanese horror and this list of standout titles for more great books.
English (US) · 