Obake

Lore lovers, those enchanted by the unique spookiness that distinct locations possess, will enjoy Grant's collection of Japanese and Hawaiian ghost stories. None of these tales, however, are formulaic. If you enjoy typical treats of the genre, then you might not quite be satisfied by what is grant is doing here. His goal isn't to terrify, but to introduce. The scenic locations of Oahu are related in Grant's personal, detailed prose. His delightfully unpretentious manner, and deep knowledge of the neighborhoods, provides a very readable experience. The spectres in these stories loom in such understated, subtle ways -- they are denizens of the margins and back yards, rather than stubborn, attention-seeking poltergeists. I find these sorts of stories more haunting in their hushed, rumour-oriented narratives. Grant's care for the people and customs of Hawai'i makes these stories both educational and entertaining. Don't expect to find a heap of overwrought tales of the paranormal here. They read like they are: an agnostic reporter with a talent for listening, exploring, and withholding judgement. As a personal note, my favorite story by far had nothing to do with ghosts at all. "On The Kaidan Trail of Lafcadio Hearn" was an utterly heartfelt travelogue of Grant's visit to Japan to pay homage to his obvious mentor, the culture hopping Hearn. While in Tokyo, local academics mistake Grant for a Hearn scholar and, assuming he has the same academic clout as them, suddenly shower him with respect. Doors suddenly open, and invitations received, and Grant finds himself where few researchers ever go . . . the butsudan of Hearn's grandson. This chapter functioned beautifully as a study on how pretenses, titles, and degrees do not necessarily equal knowledge; and that the most gratifying moments when travelling are the unexpected ones. Very touching tribute to Hearn, as well as Grant's affection for strangers and strange encounters.

I picked this book up on a whim at a tour bus rest stop in Kauai - and for the next few days was on the edge of my seat as I read through each story. Before his death in 2003, the author was a popular teacher at the University of Hawai'i, and a tour guide who lead a Haunted Oahu Tour group. These tours must have been wonderfully frightful with all the stories and legends that he had collected over the years. If you know nothing about Hawaiian ghosts (and I knew nothing), this book is a wonderful little intro, combining real-life accounts of the author with a few fictionalized stories based on real-life interviews (though some of these fictional stories were "hit-and-miss.") He is particularly interested in highlighting the multi-cultural aspects of these ghost tales as encompassing the ethnic diversity of Hawai'i (and this is what I enjoyed most about the book).

If you're not sure whether the various H-3 disasters were accidents or the work of something else, this book is great. It talks about many different kinds of ghosts, Japanese, Hawaiian, Chinese, and other, and gives examples of when and where things have been attributed to them, like various stories of lava flows that have skipped destroying heiaus, sacred places, houses of people who were very devout, stuff like that. It's really interesting, especially in a place like Hawaii where many people believe in the old Hawaiian ghosts. It's surprising to people not from the islands, but true that the general public in Hawaii has a great deal of respect for Hawaiian spirits. Many businesses or organizations have all new facilities blessed by Hawaiian priests, and when misfortune strikes calling on the Hawaiian religious community is a not uncommon way of solving the problem. Scarily enough, often blessings really do end bad luck...

Since living in Hawaii, I have encountered many tales (such as these ) in this book. They are sometimes thought of as folklore, but many have claimed these stories are true. Determine for yourself if it is true.....or not.......hee hee hee!

As the author indicates in his book, the ghost stories of the Hawaiian Islands are very unique, being a mixture of folklore and superstitions from Asia, America, the rest of Oceania, and of course those of the indigenous Hawaiians. There are two types of stories contained in the book, those that are supposedly true, and those involving Hawaiian supernatural beings, but are basically works of fiction. I found the former type of story, masterfully retold by Mr. Grant, to be the most interesting, as I think we are all more scared by hearing of supernatural occurrences that have an air of credibility to them.If you enjoyed this book, you will certainly enjoy Ghosts of Okinawa by Jayne A. Hitchcock.