Vampiric: Tales of Blood and Roses from Japan

Japan has always had its own vampire tradition, and has eagerly naturalized Western vampires and vampire literature to produce exotic new hybrids and species of horror, of terror, and of sensual, exquisite beauty. Here are a few of their masterpieces.

The Japanese word for vampire is kyūketsuki, which translates literally to "blood-sucking monster," but the literary tradition is far, far more complex.
The practice of Buddhism permeates Japan, and burials are almost always by cremation... leaving the Count and his relatives with no coffins to sleep in! But there is more than one way to sip a little blood, as these authors reveal. Thanks to Bram Stoker, Christopher Lee, and countless others who have popularized the Western vampire, modern Japanese authors have an extensive range of traditions and tales to weave into their own creations.

Contents

• Masaya SHIMOKUSU — "A Cultural Dynasty of Beautiful Vampires: Japan’s Acceptance, Modifications, and Adaptations of Vampires"
• INOUE Masahiko—"Blue Lady"
• ASUKABE Katsunori — "Kingdom"
• KIKUCHI Hideyuki — "The Stone Castle"
• OKAMOTO Kidō — "The One-Legged Woman"
• HIKAGE Jōkichi — "Vampire"
• ASAMATSU Ken — "The Crimson Cloak"
• SUNAGA Asahiko — "Vow"
• KAJIO Shinji — "The Husk Heir"
• KAMON Nanami — "A Piece of Butterfly's Wing"
• OKUDA Tetsuya — "Unnatural"
• IINO Fumihiko — "Paradise Missing"
• FUKUZAWA Tetsuzō — "Dracula’s House"
• KONAKA Chiaki — "Birth of a Vampire"
• MIKAWA Yū — "Halvires"
• INOUE Masahiko — "Parasol"