Japan... a country that lies beneath a cloud of mystery and secrecy, where the old sits uneasily close to the new, where ancient spirits hide in neon shadows. Some of the ghost stories you are about to read are based on folk tales that have been passed from father to son and mother to daughter for generations. Read about how Hoichi the violinist lost his ears to a ghostly samurai, and how Misu the monk defeated the spirit that devoured the dead. Learn what happens when you break a promise made to a deadly ice spirit, and why a young girl haunts the dreams of a priest in post-war Tokyo. Other stories are as new and exciting as modern Japan. Read about the faceless woman who haunts and taunts a young boy, and the fate of two Japanese gangsters who choose the wrong victim to terrorize. We hope that you enjoy these terrifying tales, and remember, they are only stories... so don't have nightmares. Japanese Ghost Stories is published by Hippo Books, a publisher dedicated to producing interesting, readable and fun books. This book is suitable for English students with upper-intermediate English or higher. Be sure to check out our other Hippo Graded Readers. About the Author: Cooper Baltis is one of the writers and founders of Hippo Books. He is a former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at the National University of Mongolia and is TESOL certified. He has taught English in Asia for five years and has published stories in several literary magazines in America. His Hippo books include Hassan and Lulu and My Brother the Giant, as well as many short story collections.