The Dog Spirit and Other Tales

A condemned man tries to explain the dog spirit he believes has ruined his life. A student walking home through snowy mountains finds shelter in a temple, where a lullaby leads to a story of terrible cruelty and revenge. On a night train, a stranger recounts the deaths and injuries he attributes to a jealous ghost, a calico cat, and an exceptionally sharp sword.

In the final tale, a murderer believes he has secured a perfect alibi by tampering with a clock. The boy scientific detective Tsukahara Toshio invites the reader to notice what the police have missed.

First published between 1925 and 1927, these four stories move between supernatural terror, psychological obsession, and the close observation of detective fiction. Kosakai Fuboku (1880–1929), a Japanese physician and writer, brings medical language into narratives whose speakers remain vulnerable to fear and superstition. This new English translation preserves their unsettling voices and provides brief notes on period beliefs, allusions, and textual uncertainties. AI-assisted translation, prepared and edited by Valentin Sarić.