Lafcadio Hearn—The Master of the Japanese Ghost Story

In this episode, we explore the enduring legacy of Greek/English/Irish/American/Japanese author Lafcadio Hearn and the ghost story The Peony Lantern.

We'll start out by looking at Hearn's life. We'll discuss the long history of the story Boton Doro, more commonly known as The Peony Lantern, including its most famous incarnation under Hearn's pen. And then we'll look at two modern adaptations of the story by Aoko Matsuda and Kyoko Nakajima.

Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.

Buy on In Ghostly Japan on Bookshop to support RJL.

Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)

Please note that text messages are for feedback only. RJL can't respond directly.
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2025 Read Japanese Literature.