Supernatural Japan: Izumi Kyoka and the Global Fantastic
Title: Supernatural Japan: Izumi Kyoka and the Global Fantastic
Author: Pedro Bassoe
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication Date: March 11, 2026
About the Book: This book examines the work of Japanese writer Izumi Kyōka and his role in shaping modern supernatural fiction in Japan. The book explores how Kyōka’s ghost stories and fantastical tales blend traditional Japanese folklore with influences from European and global literature, helping establish the “fantastic” as a modern literary genre in Japan. It also introduces the idea of a “scholarly fantastic,” showing how Kyōka’s stories combine supernatural elements with modern intellectual and scientific perspectives.
About the Author: Pedro Bassoe is an assistant professor in Japanese and teaches classes on Japanese literature from the classical to contemporary eras as well as classes on Japanese film, visual culture, literary pedagogy, popular culture, and literature of the fantastic. His primary research focuses on illustration, visual culture, and the relationship between text and image in the development of the modern novel in Japan.