Addiss, Stephen.
Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural.
New York: George Braziller, Inc. 1985.
This book has many excellent prints of Japanese ghosts and other supernatural entities, several of which relate to the types of female ghosts found in
Kwaidan.
Erlich, Linda and David Desser.
Cinematic Landscapes: Observations on the Visual Arts of China and Japan.
Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. 1994.
This book offers several very good essays on issues in Japanese cinematic aesthetics, drawing on both the history of art and the contemporary decision-making and influence of prominent directors.
Galbraith, Stuart IV.
Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films
. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company. 1994.
A very detailed description of 97 Japanese films that have been released in the United states between 1950 and 1992. The first film included is
Rashomon
.
McCarthy, Helen.
Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation.
Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. 1999.
This book is accessible to strong high school readers, and gives background on Miyazaki's career in general and his major titles in particular. There are spoilers in this text, however, so be careful about the sections you choose for students before they view the film(s) you select.
Reider, Noriko.
Tales of the Supernatural in Early Modern Japan: Kaidan, Akinari, Ugetsu Monogatari.
Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press.
This is an excellent resource for obtaining background information on the evolution of early modern ghost tales in Japan.
Dissanayake, Wimal.
Cinema and Cultural Identity: Reflection son Films from Japan, India, and China.
New York: University Press of America. 1988.
The section on Japan offers two essays on Japanese dramatic traditions that may be of interest. Also, two essays about genre in Japanese cinema, one focusing on Samurai films, are useful when considering the use of Japanese film as a cultural lens.
McCormick, Kathleen.
Reading Our Histories, Understanding our Cultures: A Sequenced Approach to Thinking, Reading, and Writing.
New York: Longman. 2003.
This text offers a lengthy review of cultural/historical analysis, with eight example unit plans that can help teachers understand the framework. This may be the only resource in the unit that cannot be replaced with alternative texts.
