Kwaidan: Encounters with Lafacadio Hearn
Ushaw is host the first showing of Kwaidan in the United Kingdom, a captivating touring exhibition of gothic Japanese fairytales inspired by the writing of Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan book of Japanese ghost stories. Perfect for spooky season!
Hearn studied at Ushaw in the 1860s, subsequently he travelled in America and the Caribbean before settling in Japan. Renowned for his late nineteenth century works on Japanese life and culture, the exhibition features individual prints from 40 artists in response to the ghost stories.
Lafcadio Hearn’s iconic Kwaidan helped introduce the West to the mysterious world of ghosts and supernatural beings. Hearn’s storytelling not only captivated readers around the globe, but also laid the creative groundwork for what would later evolve into the much-loved ‘manga’ genre.
2025 marks the 175th anniversary of Lafcadio Hearn’s birth, making this a timely and fitting tribute to an author whose cross-cultural legacy continues to influence artists, filmmakers, and writers worldwide.
The display at Ushaw will also feature works from Ushaw’s Library collection.
Lafcadio Hearn – Kwaidan is on display from Saturday 6 September – Sunday 2 November 2025.
Entry is included with an Ushaw Membership or Day Pass.
Sean Michael Wilson on Lafcadio Hearn & Manga
Enjoy a special zoom talk by graphic novel author Sean Michael Wilson on Saturday 18 October. Sean will talk to us about his two books on Lafcadio Hearn that he made with Japanese manga artists.
Showing of Kwaidan (1964)
In conjunction with the exhibition, on Friday 24 October, we’ll be showing a screening of Kwaidan (1964) – Masaki Kobayashi’s haunting masterpiece of Japanese cinema, based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn’s collections of Japanese folk tales.
