Bestselling 'Yamaoni' Series Surpasses 370,000 Copies! Yamakei Bunko Releases 4th Volume: 'Yamaoni Shu: Mysterious Tales Told by Mountain People'

Yama to Keikoku Publishing Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiromufumi Ninomiya), a media company within the Impress Group specializing in mountain and nature content, has published the Yamakei Bunko edition of 'Yamaoni Shu: Mysterious Tales Told by Mountain People' by Yasuhiro Tanaka.

The world of 'Yamaoni'—rich with atmosphere, as humid as one's breath—has captivated me.

—From the 'Commentary' by Kokawa Hiyu (Yuru Minzokugaku Radio)

Mountains hold joy, delight, and fear—this popular series, known as the 'modern version of Tono Monogatari,' compiles strange, firsthand experiences from people who live and work in the mountains. After a pause in fieldwork due to the novel coronavirus, the long-awaited bunko edition of the 4th volume is now released!

As a special feature for the bunko edition, it includes a new afterword and a commentary by Kokawa Hiyu (Yuru Minzokugaku Radio).

(Table of Contents)

Introduction: Chasing the Vanishing Mountain Spirits

1. The Enchanted Forest

(Takao Mountain) The Octopus-Cedar Sage / The Summoned Person / The Woman in White Kimono

(Okutama) The House Where a Small Fox Lives / The Dark Woman

(Okuchichibu - Tanba Mountains) The White Dog and the Mysterious Person / The Protected Person / The Giant Serpent and the Fireball

(Western Jōshū) Beware of a Bountiful Catch / The Terrifying Yamakagashi Snake / A Joyful School Trip / Never Go Again / The Telegram Deliveryman / Myō

Gishū Nakayama Shrine

(Okunikko) The Woman with Rolling Eyes / The Wandering Tent / What Are You Doing There?

(Echigo - Yuzawa) The Flying Snake / The Strange People / The Unknown Beast / Who Are You? / The Portrait

(Shinshu - Togakushi) Inside and Outside the Tent / Distortion of Time and Space

2. The Silent Mountains

(Hokkaido - Matsumae Peninsula) Bear-Hunting Experience / The Foxes of Matsumae Peninsula / The Ascetic and the Stone Tablet / The Bear Cave Hotel / The Unchanging Scream

(Shirakami Mountains - Mekari) Traps and the Black Snake / Matagi vs. Tanuki / Sacred Ground / The Fish with Legs

(Shirakami Mountains - Fujisato Town) The Mysterious Phone Call / In the Rice Field, in the Snow / Going Down? Or Going Up? / An Incident Deep in the Mountains / The Soul That Kicks Your Head / Gomiso and the River Flow

(Southern Zao - Shikagō Town) The Fox and the Dragonfly Elder / The Little Old Man / The Sound of the Khakkhara and the Ruckus on the Back Mountain / The Return of a Friend

(Okuaizu) A Matagi's Experience / The Foxes of Aizu

(Hanami-dake Range) The Thing Lurking in the Hanami-dake Range / Is Everything Bigger? / The Mountain Scene

3. The Adjacent Otherworld

(Hida - Higashishirakawa Village) The Unlucky Tsuchinoko?

(Tajima - Toyooka) The Laughing Deer / The Enka Auntie

(Chūgoku Mountains) The Coffin and the Fireball / The God and the Cursed Tree / The Evil Thing

(Tosa) The Kind Tanuki / The Mountain Man's Experience / Eels in the River, Strange Things in the Mountains / The Mountain's Call

(Central Kyushu Highlands) The Noisy Water / The Village Where Souls Fly / The Forest of Karikoboze / Mischief Without Malice / Kyaabō Fuki

(Yamaoni Fragments) Is Every Mountain Mystery the Fox's Fault? / The Man Who Searches for Wolves / What Is It?

Conclusion: Corona and Yamaoni

Afterword for the Bunko Edition: 'Gods, Yokai, and Strange Beings'

'Commentary' by Kokawa Hiyu (Yuru Minzokugaku Radio)

[Author Profile]

Yasuhiro Tanaka (born 1959 in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture)

A freelance photographer who has traveled across Japan—from Rebun Island to Ishigaki Island—conducting field research. He has extensively covered agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, particularly focusing on hunting cultures like the Matagi.

Publications include 'Yamaoni,' 'Yamaoni Ni,' 'Yamaoni San,' 'Yamaoni Shu,' 'Yamaoni Sei,' 'Complete Matagi: Labor and Food Culture Without Contradiction,' 'The Work of Blacksmith En,' 'The Complete Edition: What Meat Have the Japanese Eaten?' (all published by Yama to Keikoku), 'Female Hunter: Why I Became a Hunter,' 'Hunter's Kitchen' (Yamakawa Publishing), 'The Hunter's Guide to Deer and Wild Boar Utilization' (Nōgyō Gyoson Bunka Kyōkai), and 'From Japan's Meat-Eating Matagi to Meat Processing Facilities' (Chikuma Shobō).

Bibliographic Data

Title: Yamakei Bunko 'Yamaoni Shu: Mysterious Tales Told by Mountain People'

Author: Yasuhiro Tanaka

Release Date: June 16, 2026

Price: ¥1,100 (¥1,000 excluding tax)

Specifications: Bunko edition, 328 pages, single color

https://www.yamakei.co.jp/products/2826050330.html

[Yama to Keikoku Publishing] https://www.yamakei.co.jp/

Founded in 1930, the company operates publishing businesses centered on the monthly magazine 'Yama to Keikoku,' covering mountains, natural sciences, outdoor activities, lifestyle, and health. It also runs online media and services.

Additionally, it engages in solution-based projects aimed at regional revitalization, collaborating with corporations and local governments on themes related to mountaineering and outdoor activities.

[Impress Group] https://www.impressholdings.com/

A media group with Impress Holdings, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Yuki Tsukamoto) as its holding company. It operates specialized media, services, and solution businesses focusing on 'IT,' 'music,' 'design,' 'mountains and nature,' 'aviation and railways,' 'mobile services,' and 'academic and engineering sciences.' It also develops and operates content business platforms.

[Inquiries]

Yama to Keikoku Publishing Co., Ltd. Contact: Uekawa

1-105 Kanda-Jinbōchō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051

TEL: 03-6744-1900 Email: info@yamakei.co.jp

https://www.yamakei.co.jp/