The belief in ghosts, demons and spirits has deep roots in the history of Japanese folklore. It is intertwined with mythology and superstitions drawn from Japanese Shintoism, as well as Buddhism and Taoism, brought to Japan from China and India. Stories and legends combined with mythology have been collected over the years by various cultures of the world, both past and present. Folklore developed to explain or rationalize various natural phenomena. Inexplicable natural phenomena, which abound in Japan (take, for example, the same earthquakes and tsunamis that plague the lives of the Japanese today) have always caused fear in humans, since it was impossible to predict them or understand the essence of their origin. The book by a prominent American orientalist contains the most remarkable legends and tales of the Japanese people.