Why Japan Still Needs Ghosts
Why Japan Still Needs Ghosts is an exhibition closing talk examining what supernatural stories reveal about the hopes, fears, and social concerns of the communities that tell them. Professor Michael P. Cronin explores Japan’s long fascination with yokai, ghosts, and other supernatural beings, tracing their development from Edo-period stories of vengeful spirits to contemporary anime, films, and folklore.
The program considers how supernatural traditions have been continually reshaped to address changing circumstances. Topics include the influence of classic tales on modern works such as *The Ring*, the Hyakki Yagyō or Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, and contemporary anime’s reinterpretations of Japan’s spirit world. Cronin will also discuss ghost stories that emerged after the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster, including “ghost taxis” and other reported encounters, showing how such narratives can help communities process grief, memory, and collective trauma. The talk is presented alongside the exhibition *Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan*.
When: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Showtimes: 6:30 p.m. EST
Presenter: Michael P. Cronin, associate professor of Japanese Studies at the College of William & Mary
Presenter background: Cronin researches the role of local identity in Japanese literature, cinema, and popular culture. His publications include *Osaka Modern: The City in the Japanese Imaginary*, and his forthcoming work examines the 1995 Kobe Earthquake in literature, film, anime, and manga. He has also translated works by Tanizaki Jun’ichirō, including *The Maids* and *In Praise of Shadows and Other Essays*. At William & Mary, he teaches courses on anime and the posthuman, Japan’s alternate histories, cultures of catastrophe, and “Japan’s Ghosts and Demons.”
Venue: Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
Tickets: Price not available
Registration: Registration is offered through the event page.
Inquiries: jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp
Photo and video policy: The JICC and Embassy of Japan may use photographs or video recorded at the event in its publications and other media, including websites and social media. Images will not be identified with full names or personal information without written permission. Attendees who do not want their image recorded for distribution should notify the photographer, videographer, or event organizers.