The Dark Side of Japan: Ancient Black Magic, Folklore, Ritual

This book is well rounded and well written; it is perhaps so well rounded that it's title is perhaps just a tad misleading. This is not to say the book doesn't deal with the titular 'Dark Side' of Japan, but rather that it includes much, much more! From ghosts, to goblins, to all manner of things that go bump in the night, this book surely delivers on it's 'Dark' promise; but it is by no means limited solely to the malevolent and arcane. Packed within it's mere 219 pages the author explores not only the darker elements of Japan's rich folkloric traditions, but further introduces the reader to a wide ranging and broad scope of theosophical cultural elements ranging from the mystic to the mundane. The surprises don't stop there either! This book will certainly find a much broader readership appeal than might be expected by merely a superficial reading of the title and/or back cover. As stated, the book resoundingly delivers on it's promise to entice and educate those interested in arcane magic, ancient ritual, superstition, and the like, but the author also offers an incredible amount of historical information that would make this book right at home in the libraries of dedicated historians. Those with more of an eye to things modern than antiquated won't be disappointed either as the book explores many modern beliefs, superstitions, and more. Despite the seemingly one dimensional title, this book truly seems to have something for everyone! From early Japanese warfare for the military enthusiast, to love spells for the romantic at heart, each page offers a new surprise that further leads the reader (with a willing reckless abandon) further down to the very depths of 'The Dark Side'. Even the books incredible artwork by the ever talented Mr. David Osborne has a nostalgic vibe reminiscent of the artistic stylings of early editions of Dungeons & Dragons manuals and compendia! Particularly rare and refreshing is the author's treatment of the oft lauded, but seldom explained (particularly in the English language) 'Kuji Kiri'. This is a subject that has, despite having garnered tremendous interest for decades, been scant covered with any real depth or clarity. While this volume is too small and diversified to give this subject the in depth treatment it so richly deserves, the author's brief and basic introduction on the topic of 'Kuji' is a bold step in right direction and sets the stage for (what I can only hope will be) future volumes which are more streamlined in their focus and allow for a long overdue and exploratory analysis of this obscure element of Asiatic history. If I were to make any criticism of this book it would be that it isn't available in hardcover, which (in my own humble opinion) is deserves to be! In the fast paced world of today, hardbound books seem to be emerging more and more in limited release, save for academic journals, but alas! this book resounds with the academic integrity of a more dedicated (or perhaps declared) scholarly tome, whilst being far more 'readable' to the 'everyman'. It reads like at times like an old storyteller, recanting chilling tales of the truly horrific around a campfire, but never seems uninformed nor condescending to the reader. In short this book is both a delight of entertainment and a masterpiece of education! -J. Farthing November 2017

I found this book to be extremely informative! I've had interest in the topics that are explored within this book and this was a very nice and well-presented selection. The author presented the subject matter in such a way that kept me glued from cover to cover. There are other books available that cover this subject matter but I feel that The Dark Side of Japan presents a much more thorough and well-defined view of folklore, mysticism and more. I highly recommend this book to anyone regardless of their area of interest!

Not only informative, but also very entertaining and easy to read with lots of great, historical images and art throughout!

Slightly dark, contains some information that I would not use but am glad to know about. Numerous interesting folk tales and perspectives. If you are interested in this sort of thing it’s a good basic survey.

This book is a treasure. Much of the content is new to me, and I've read most if not all of the popular works on Japanese folklore. The illustrations add a lot to the text. A goldmine for research!

This is another great book by Antony Cummings. Very well wrote, packed full of information.

I really wish the Western stereotype perspective, along with the forced Chinese elements were not part of this book, they significantly downgrade the energy of the work. I am an author as well, and truly prefer with such a spectacular majick culture as shown herein, to focus with detail and respect. Adding the typical Chinese backstory and the silly Western view destroys the charm of what's inside. It's a weak choice to add these elements, the standard choice. I appreciate and respect the research, I wish authors who write about Japan respected the work fully without comparisons.

Great insight, highly informative!

This is a fairly thin book that would fall under the heading of trivia about Japanese Magic, Folklore and Rituals rather than anything indepth. Most sections are one or two sentences that provide a summary of a particular ritual and their interpretation without really citing the sources or going into too much detail. It's interesting but set your expectations pretty low if you're looking to buy this.

As a long time reader of Antonys work, it's about time we had this book, it serves as a companion to a lot of his previous works where translations come from the mouths of samurai who talk about the esoteric and spiritual as though the reader must already understand, well now we can understand. Illustrated brilliantly and filled with information essential for all those interested in Japan and its history, this book is more proof Antony is always a step ahead of everyone else in this field.

Birthday gift for teenage son.

General: Certain aspects of this book I really enjoyed and others left a lot to be desired. I was tempted to give this 3 stars at first, but if I am honest, it does deserve 4 stars in the end. It’s a great introduction book to the field of the paranormal/dark magic in Japan. Which is already a bit of a gem, considering that most books western audiences have access to revolves only Yokai and occasionally Yurei. It’s obvious the author has done a lot of research and presents it in a very easy to read style. As mentioned, it does feel like more of an introduction to the topic. I would have loved for their to be more in-depth chapters (it is on the smaller side, page number wise) as the author would start talking about potentially incredibly fascinating topics but then it would move into the next. I have it as a paperback and kindle. The paperback I bought in store but the kindle version was delivered extremely quickly (for obvious reasons) and is very well formatted (not always a given). Pros: 1) well written and laid out. 2) quality content. 3) easy to read. Cons: 1) too short. 2) more of an introduction to the field, rather then an extensive study. 3) some chapters contain more information then others, which can make it feel slightly off of balance.