The Game of 100 Candles

A true test of courage, an ancient samurai tradition that may bring about an even greater horror. Are you ready to play The Game of 100 Candles?Beneath the global fascination with manga and anime lies a shadowy realm teeming with Japan's yokai monsters, mutants, and vengeful mononoke spirits. These eerie entities have gripped imaginations with their terrifying allure since the Edo period, weaving a dark tapestry of folklore that continues to captivate and haunt to this day. In The Game of 100 Candles, 99 uncanny tales, known as 'kaidan', await to reveal the dark side of Japanese folklore. Step inside a world of bizarre entities, animate objects, shapeshifters, and spectral hybrids that inspired modern art forms like kabuki theatre, Pokémon, J-Horror, and the monsters of Murakami Takashi. Based on an ancient samurai ritual, this collection invites you to gather with friends in a candle-lit room, sharing spine-tingling stories and extinguishing a candle with each tale, until darkness envelops you. From the enigmatic Ningyo, half-human, half-fish, to the alluring Jorogumo spiders that transform into beautiful women, The Game of 100 Candles will transport you to a realm where the anything is possible. Complemented throughout by stunning manga illustration from Japanese artist Toru Terada, this is a must-have for anyone fascinated to discover the legends that have shaped Japanese culture.