The Tengu Lexicon: A Japanese Folklore Horror

By Dillon Demaine

SOME LEGENDS REFUSE TO BE ARCHIVED. THEY PREFER TO BE FED.

In the neon-soaked heart of Shinjuku, a digital ghost is screaming. And it's using Catherine's voice.

Catherine Duval came to Tokyo to preserve the past, not to be consumed by it. As an archivist, her world is defined by white gloves and high-resolution scans. But when she begins digitizing restricted woodcuts of the Karasu-Tengu, the screen flickers. A glitch overlays the monster's predatory anatomy onto her own reflection, and suddenly, the line between flesh and folklore dissolves.

This is not the Japan of travel brochures. This is a visceral descent into the soul of a folk horror novel.

As her reality fractures, Tokyo transforms into a claustrophobic hellscape. Commuters become faceless spirits; digital calls distort into demonic static. Driven by a sensory overload she cannot escape, Catherine realizes the yokai horror isn't just on her screen-it's under her skin.

Desperate to purge the infection, she steals the cursed texts and flees the city, heading toward the one place where the silence is absolute: the shadows of the Aokigahara Forest.

But the forest is waiting. And the thing inside her is finally coming home.

Why readers are obsessed with this bone-chilling addition to Japanese horror books:

Authentic Folk Horror: Unlike "tourist horror" that skims the surface, this story dives deep into the terrifying roots of Japanese mythology and the Karasu-Tengu legend.Modern Psychological Terror: A gripping exploration of cultural isolation and sensory processing disorders set against the backdrop of a tech-obsessed society.A Fast-Paced Descent: Forget the "slow burn"-this is a high-tension, atmospheric nightmare that drags you from the neon glare of Shinjuku to the haunting depths of an Aokigahara Forest book.Visceral Imagery: Perfect for fans of the body horror in Junji Ito and the reality-bending dread of House of Leaves.

Experience the dark side of the Rising Sun. If you crave horror books set in Japan that balance atmospheric dread with heart-pounding pacing, your next nightmare starts here.

- From the author of Stairway to Darkness and many more -

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GFT9F6D5
• ISBN13: 9798243151542
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 446 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"