Who am I?
Zack Davisson was born on August 15th, a date that didn’t have much other significance until he lived in Japan and discovered that he shared the day with Obon, the annual Japanese Festival of the Dead. Every year on his birthday the country transformed into a spectacle of lanterns and tradition, as all work was put aside to welcome the millions of ancestor spirits who made the trip back from anoyo to the welcoming arms of their living families, where they were fed and honored.
With an undergraduate degree in Fine Art from Cornish College of the Arts, Zack was aware of Japan’s tradition of ghost imagery and saw a connection between the Edo period figures and the modern j-horror image of Japanese ghosts. Pursuing his Master’s Degree with the University of Sheffield in Japanese studies, Zack delved deeper into the subject and learned to put a name to the mysterious white-robed figure; a yūrei.
Writing his Master’s thesis on yūrei, Zack took this new knowledge and published articles on yūrei and other folklore topics in nationally circulated magazines such as Japanzine and Kansai Time-Out. Other freelance writing work included writing for the Osaka City Guide and working as a consultant for Osaka University where he created articles for student use, worked as a translator and contributed to textbooks.
Retuning from Japan after six years, Zack now lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Miyuki.
Some of Zack’s articles:
- The Suicide Woods of Mt. Fuji
- Tales of Ghostly Japan
- J-Horror: An Alternate Guide
- Ge ge ge no Kitaro: Poor Little Ghost Boy
Zack’s Japan-themed review site:
Zack also traveled through Egypt during the 2011 Revolution. You can see his travel blog at:
Consulting and Contact Information
Zack Davisson is interested in sharing his passion and knowledge of Japanese kaidan and folklore. He has worked as a consultant and contributor on projects ranging from television series to role playing games to comic books to college courses. His funa yurei translation was performed as a puppet play for Drexel University, and other translations have been used in graduate programs for Central Michigan University and University of Maryland.
Current projects include consulting for the São Paulo State University in Brazil on a lecture comparing Japanese and Brazillian ghosts, and advising Tony Harris on his upcoming Image comics book Roundeye: For Love.
If you have a project that you think he might be interested in or questions about Japanese ghosts and monsters, please send him an email!
To contact Zack Davisson: zack.davisson@gmail.com
What’s that Yokai?
If you have a yokai or Japanese ghost story you would like identified, Zack is happy to help if he can. Many of the best hyakumonogatari.com posts come from reader questions.
Send your question to Zack Davisson: zack.davisson@gmail.com
Sep 29, 2010 @ 23:40:29
BTW, お盆 is on 8/15 only in certain areas.
I know that from being an 8/15 birthday myself, too.（笑）
Sep 30, 2010 @ 00:02:16
Is your birthday August 15th as well! Wow!
And yes, I know that the date of Obon changes depending on where you lived. I lived in Nara, which has a beautiful candle festival on the 15th to celebrate Obon.
Oct 03, 2010 @ 15:59:03
Yep, but in my case, the first reaction was a… poor one so after that my birthday was anywhere from Aug 05-10. Just NOT 8/15 – the day the Japanese were forced to surrender to the Americans in WW2.
o.o
Aug 10, 2011 @ 03:32:49
Fantastic website! I totally enjoyed reading the stories you translated!
I have been very very curious about the meaning behind the symbolism present in the cursed video in The Ring. I do hope you will be able to enlighten me!
Aug 11, 2011 @ 11:04:04
Thank you! Glad you enjoy my website!
The cursed video in the Ring doesn’t have much symbolism related to Japanese folklore, actually. Most of the imagery is Ring-specific, dealing with scenes from Sadako’s life, her mother, and Ryuji Takayama. The part where there is a lot of Japanese language floating around is a newspaper article where Sadako’s mother, Shizuko Yamamura, predicted the eruption of Mount Mihara. The scene with the people crawling on the ground is, I believe, people dying in that eruption.
Sadako herself is an amalgam of folklore and real life. The ghost rising from the well comes from the legend of Bancho Sarayashiki and the ghost of Okiku, and Sadako’s face, especially the droopy eye, comes from Yotsuya Kaidan and the ghost of Oiwa. In real life, she is based off of a psychic named Sadako Takahashi, who was said to be able to project images onto undeveloped film.
Sep 01, 2011 @ 09:39:53
WOW OMG THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION!!!
Sep 01, 2011 @ 10:04:11
Happy to help!
Sep 12, 2011 @ 15:00:10
Thanks for translating and sharing these fantastic stories with us Zack
Sep 12, 2011 @ 15:27:01
Thanks for reading Ana!
Sep 27, 2011 @ 12:45:18
Hi,
Just came across your site by chance.
I grew up in Japan (in the ’60s) and always loved the kaidan I came across as I meandered around the country. It’s great to see your scholarly love of the creatures I searched for in bamboo groves and hatake as a kid.
The stories I collected and retold still inspire my sumi-e hobby; Finding your site has certainly been the highlight of my week!
Thanks!
Sep 27, 2011 @ 13:55:28
Glad you found the site! I fell in love with kaidan in Japan myself. Just walking around town I saw strange monsters everywhere. Or when talking to someone about an old shrine or temple, there was always an old story that could be told. I wanted to know more about it, so that is how my studies began.
Oct 08, 2011 @ 06:53:13
Dear Zack. Wonderful job on your web site. I’ve been researching TANUKI, and came across your translations, which you mention are from the Edo no Kimyo no Hyakumonogatari 江戸の奇妙の百物語. Strangely, I can find no reference to this work anywhere, in Japanese or in English. Could you kindly let me know the official name and publish date of the document? By the way, I myself am an old Tanuki, and in my spare time write the A-to-Z Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Statuary……….I’m planning on introducing your translations, but I first wanna find the document you refer to……thanks……..mark
Oct 08, 2011 @ 14:34:44
Hey Mark,
I have to say, you just made my day. Your website was a HUGE influence on me when I first started researching Japanese folklore. I first started writing about this doing a column for a local JET newsletter, and onmarkproductions was a well I dipped into many, many times for information. I hope someday my little website hear can be 1/100th as cool as yours is!
So, gushing fan aside, the reason you couldn’t find the book is that I got the name wrong, I am embarassed to say! I was going by memory on the title, and my memory was apparently a bit faulty. I just pulled it off of my shelf, and the title is Edo Tokyo Kaii Hyakumonogatari “江戸東京怪異百物語.” It is a book I picked up in a bookstore in Osaka. They had a whole series, and I regret not picking up the others. Not that I have the corrected title I will have to go back and edit those old postings!
I would be honored if you included my translations on your site!
Thanks again for the comment!
Oct 09, 2011 @ 02:25:23
Hey Again Zack-sama
I’ve not published my story on Tanuki yet, but have added the following two references:
1. Davisson, Zack. Translated Japanese Ghost Stories and Tales of the Weird and the Strange. His web site, Hyakumonogatari, includes various Tanuki stories translated from the Zusetsu Edo Tōkyō Kaii Hyaku Monogatari 図説江戸東京怪異百物語 (see entry in Primary Sources).
2. Zusetsu Edo Tōkyō Kaii Hyaku Monogatari 図説江戸東京怪異百物語 (100 Strange Tales of Edo Tokyo), an illustrated Japanese text by Kōichi Yumoto 湯本豪一; published 2007 by Kawade Shobō Shinsha 河出書房新社 (Tokyo). A collection of Edo-era tales and Meiji-era newspaper stories about strange and mysterious happenings. For English translations of five Tanuki tales from this work, see Zack Davisson’s Hyakumonogatari.
Not sure if I will include any “full” translation from your site, but I will probably include small bits — as always, you will by cited.
sincerely
mark
PS. thank you for the kind and encouraging words about my site.
Feb 01, 2012 @ 13:26:11
Hi Zack! I have been reading the amazing stories for awhile now and I love it! I love how you detail and translate the stories.i too love ghost stories and Japanese ghost stories are just amazing to say the least! They are original.the paintings are beautiful.this is my favorite site.im learning the words on ghosts.please keep up the great work!
Feb 03, 2012 @ 13:39:55
Thanks Rina! I am glad that you are enjoying the site! Encouragement like that really keeps me going.
Feb 05, 2012 @ 17:54:52
Thank you for creating this wonderful, informative blog! I’ve been following you for a little while now and really enjoy your posts, and have recommended you to my readers over at my kimono/Japanese traditions blog.
Keep up the good work and thanks again!
Feb 17, 2012 @ 10:46:57
Hi Zack,
Great site! I have recently become very interested in traditional Japanese ghost stories and would really like to compose a piece of music based on one for university. Do you have any stories about the Umibozu? I find them very interesting, but so far haven’t found much info on the web…
Thanks
Stuart
Feb 18, 2012 @ 14:13:24
Hi Stuart! Welcome to hyakumonogatari! I am sure I have some umibozu stories in my books somewhere. I can go look for something to translate for you.
Feb 19, 2012 @ 09:58:10
Hi Zack,
That would be brilliant if you could! It seem to be very hard to find information on them. I got from wikipedia that they are said the be drowned monks, but there must be a story behind that! Any translations would be very welcome.
Thanks
Stuart
Feb 21, 2012 @ 21:13:15
Woof! There was a lot more about umi bozu than I had thought! That was an interesting project to research. Hope you enjoy it!
Apr 22, 2012 @ 21:24:45
Zack,
Thank goodness i found this site! I’ve been scouring the internet for information describing some of the creatures i had found depicted in “Gazu Hyakki Yagyō”. Behold I have found a plethora of just that. PLEASE keep up the good work, you are certainly bookmarked on my computer!
Apr 23, 2012 @ 22:43:26
Thanks! I am glad you found hyakumonogatari! If there is any specific creature you want to know about, just ask!
May 05, 2012 @ 09:16:33
Dear Zack,
I just want to thank you for your AWESOME site! I’m doing a short essay for my Japanese Art class focused on Yōkai depicted in Ukiyo-e, and so I came across this great site.
Keep up the good work!
May 05, 2012 @ 10:26:45
Thanks! Glad my site was usefull for you!