Japanese Horror Focus for 3 NYC Talks

MONKEY Vol. 6 Horror

Friday, May 15, 2026 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Kinokuniya New York – 1073 Avenue of the Americas (between 40th and 41st Streets)

Admission: Free

Head to Kinokuniya New York at 5:30 p.m. Friday forMONKEY Vol. 6 Horror, an evening exploring the strange, uncanny, and unforgettable worlds of contemporary Japanese horror literature!

This literary discussion features authors Hideo Furukawa and Tomoka Shibasaki, translators Ted Goossen and Kendall Heitzman, MONKEY contributing editor Roland Kelts, and MONKEY founder Motoyuki Shibata. The panel will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Participants

Hideo Furukawa is one of Japan’s most innovative writers. He is the author of Slow Boat; Belka, Why Don't You Bark?; and The Tale of the Heike: The Inu-Oh Chapters, which inspired the Golden Globe–nominated film Inu-Oh. The English translation will be published under the MONKEY imprint in 2027.

Tomoka Shibasaki is a novelist and short story writer. Her work includes the novel Spring Garden and the groundbreaking collection A Hundred Years and a Day, translated by Polly Barton (MONKEY/Stone Bridge Press, 2025).

Ted Goossen is a literary translator and professor emeritus at York University in Toronto. He is a founding editor of MONKEY and has translated works by Haruki Murakami, Naoya Shiga, and Hiromi Kawakami, including Dragon Palace (MONKEY/Stone Bridge Press, 2023).

Kendall Heitzman is an associate professor of Japanese literature and culture at the University of Iowa. He has translated works by Kaori Fujino and Hideo Furukawa, among others. His translation of The Tale of the Heike: The Inu-Oh Chapters is forthcoming.

Roland Nozomu Kelts is a contributing editor to MONKEY New Writing from Japan. An award-winning journalist and the author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US and The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus, he writes for publications in the US, Japan, and Europe, including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times,among others, and has contributed to several book-length collections. He was a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University and teaches at Waseda University in Tokyo. He is currently filming a documentary about manga pioneer Osamu Tezuka.

Motoyuki Shibata translates American literature and runs the Japanese literary journal MONKEY and its offspring, MONKEY New Writing from Japan. He has translated Paul Auster, Rebecca Brown, Stuart Dybek, Brian Evenson, Laird Hunt, Kelly Link, and Steven Millhauser, among many others.

At Japan Society

In addition to Friday’s talk at Kinokuniya, Japan Society is hosting Hideo Furukawa and Tomoka Shibasaki for a pair of events on Sunday, May 17. The acclaimed, award-winning novelists will spend the afternoon discussing Japanese horror and adapting books to the screen. Roland Kelts will moderate both events.

From Page to Screen – The Art and Anxiety of Adaptation

Sunday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.

Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

Admission: $28 General | $22 Japan Society members

Hideo Furukawa and Tomoka Shibasaki are two of Japan’s most highly acclaimed authors, and their books have been adapted into successful films shown worldwide. Shibasaki’s Asleep or Awake was turned into the live-action film Asako I & II by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car). Furukawa’s Tale of the Heike: The Inu-Oh Chapters was adapted into the epic animated feature Inu-Oh by Masaaki Yuasa (Devilman Crybaby). In conversation with Japanamerica author Roland Kelts, Furukawa and Shibasaki will address the sometimes-jarring experience of having their original words transformed into immutable images, when works of the imagination leap from one medium to another. Were the adaptations consistent with their imagination and visions, or wildly divergent?

What’s Japanese in Japanese Horror – With Authors Hideo Furukawa and Tomoka Shibasaki

Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m.

Japan Society – 333 E. 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

Admission: $28 General | $22 Japan Society members

From the oni demons, yurei ghosts, and yokai spirits of folklore, to pop culture sensations like Exit 8 and The Ring, horror runs through the veins of Japanese culture. Often distinctly psychological and provocative, Japanese horror is beloved by those who like their scares with a sharp edge of sophistication. The latest issue of the acclaimed literary magazine MONKEY New Writing from Japan celebrates Japanese psychological horror. Japan Society welcomes an all-star panel of authors, editors, and translators to discuss the worldwide appeal of Japanese horror and what traditional and modern cultural influences make it unique. Some of the most unsettling stories in this issue will be performed by the authors and translators in bilingual readings.

Save 10% by purchasing tickets to both MONKEY events. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit Japan Society’s website.

About MONKEY

MONKEY New Writing from Japan is an annual anthology that showcases the best of contemporary Japanese literature. Vol. 6 celebrates HORROR, from demons and ghosts to the myriad existential and environmental fears that come with living in our troubled times. MONKEY offers short fiction and poetry by writers such as Haruki Murakami, Yoko Ogawa, and Hiromi Kawakami; graphic stories by Satoshi Kitamura; new translations of modern classics; and contributions from authors outside Japan.

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AkumuFest Hits Japan Village Brooklyn

AkumuFest: An Interactive Japanese Horror Experience

Kaede Kimonos and JapanCultureNYC are collaborating to present AkumuFest: An Interactive Japanese Horror Experience! This Saturday, October 25, Japan Village will come alive with Yokai in this immersive celebration of Japanese horror, fashion, folklore, and fandom.

AkumuFest merges Japanese horror aesthetics with modern fandom through immersive storytelling, folklore-inspired fashion, and interactive experiences. Attendees are invited to dress in Japanese horror cosplay, kimono, or original yokai-themed attire.

Event Details

📅 Saturday, October 25, 2025

🕘 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 pm
🌑 AkumuFest After Dark: 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

📍 Japan Village – 934 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

🎟️ Admission: Free

Presented By

👘 Kaede Kimonos & JapanCultureNYC
🎌 Under the patronage of Japan Village

Main Highlights

📖 Japanese Storytelling

👹 Cosplay Contest

🏮 30 Unique Vendors

• BaobDraws

• Sushito Clothing

• Radlab Art Studio

• XIseeno

• Vandel M Studios

• Summeresque Crochet

• Partulla

• CupNewdles

• CleanPlum

• Unlicensedkarebear

• The Dark Fae Collaborative

• P-GLiTCHii Studio

• tiny little guys

• Oishiri Sauce

• Cute Tangerinie

• glitched_rena

• SteamCatKimono

• Anubis House Productions

• Kazaria3

• Pucci Ropa Jewelry /Hanatural.

• Crafts by Wing

• Little Song’s Workshop

• Natalie Anna Jacobsen – Author of Ghost Train

• PlusHii Kawaii

• GRINNIES /Fragrant Olive

• Clucludie

• JOGI NO YUME

• JapanCultureNYC

• Ravishing Admire

• KikiPenguins

🥐 Akumu Café – Located in the courtyard in front of Panya!

🎤 Live Performers

• Liana Kurogi

• OMNY Taiko

• Rino Day performance (Solo/Duo)

• Rino Band

• Let Hair Down

• Edamovement Lab

• Akari Village

• Quantum

🏯 Brooklyn’s First Night Parade of 100 Yokai

After Dark

✨ Stay with us for AKUMUFEST AFTER DARK ✨

🎶 Live Performances • 🎭 Comedians • 🎤 Special Guests

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc

Get ready to scream, because the Chainsaw Man Movie Trailer will be shown at AkumuFest! swing by the Chainsaw Man booth for bloody-good giveaways (while supplies last)!

Are you brave enough to step into the chaos?

For the first time, Chainsaw Man slashes his way onto the big screen in an epic, action-fueled adventure that continues the hugely popular anime series. Denji worked as a Devil Hunter for the yakuza, trying to pay off the debt he inherited from his parents, until the yakuza betrayed him and had him killed. As he was losing consciousness, Denji’s beloved chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, made a deal with Denji and saved his life. This fused the two together, creating the unstoppable Chainsaw Man. Now, in a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into his world, and Denji faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.

VIP Pass

Step into the shadows with our exclusive VIP Pass, designed to give you the ultimate AkumuFest journey.

As a VIP, you’ll receive:

• 🍱 One Deluxe Bento Box – Choose from a curated selection of Japanese bento, each served with 2 classic side dishes.

• 🍬 Authentic Japanese Snack bag – Handpicked festival treats to enjoy throughout the day.

• 🥤 One Refreshing Drink – Choose from tea, soda, specialty drink or bottled water.

• 🎴 Up to Two Interactive Experiences – FREE – Whether you dare to take on the Cursed Experience Challenge or join the Yokai Hunt Tour, you can unlock up to two of these immersive adventures at no extra cost.

Your VIP pass doesn’t just give you food and perks—it grants you deeper access to the eerie, immersive world of AkumuFest. Enter, if you dare, by clicking here.

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