The Holy Man of Mt. Kōya
Book •
Izumi Kyōka's The Holy Man of Mt. Kōya is one of his most famous tales of the supernatural, centering on eerie encounters and otherworldly figures in a distinctly Japanese setting.
The story exemplifies Kyōka's blend of modern narrative techniques with motifs drawn from older Japanese supernatural literature, producing evocative landscapes and uncanny events.
It has been influential in shaping modern Japanese fantasy and is often cited as an early instance of the modern fantastic in Japan.
The tale's atmosphere, mountain setting, and interplay between the realistic and the supernatural reflect Kyōka's larger thematic concerns.
As an accessible entry point, it drew Pedro Bassoe into further study of Kyōka's oeuvre.
The story exemplifies Kyōka's blend of modern narrative techniques with motifs drawn from older Japanese supernatural literature, producing evocative landscapes and uncanny events.
It has been influential in shaping modern Japanese fantasy and is often cited as an early instance of the modern fantastic in Japan.
The tale's atmosphere, mountain setting, and interplay between the realistic and the supernatural reflect Kyōka's larger thematic concerns.
As an accessible entry point, it drew Pedro Bassoe into further study of Kyōka's oeuvre.
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Pedro Thiago Ramos Bassoe
Pedro Thiago Ramos Bassoe, "Supernatural Japan: Izumi Kyoka and the Global Fantastic" (U Michigan Press, 2026)
