Tales of Moonlight and Rain

Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and Rain) is a celebrated anthology of supernatural stories from the late 18th century, often associated with Ueda Akinari, and a cornerstone of Japan's classical literature of the uncanny.

The collection features atmospheric tales of spirits, love, and moral lessons set in historical contexts, influencing later writers and the broader cultural imagination of ghosts in Japan.

Pedro Bassoe references it to show how Izumi Kyōka both draws on and diverges from pre-modern narrative frames while producing a distinct modern fantastic.

Its stories typically employ classical prose and evoke moonlit, rain-drenched settings that underscore the eerie and melancholic mood.

The anthology remains widely studied for its stylistic refinement and its role in the development of Japanese supernatural fiction.