>I lived in Japan for a few years and have always been interested in the folklore & monster myths, so in theory I'm the target audience. DNR, saving grace was that it was a library book so I didn't pay for it.

If it helps, there's tons of better stories out there about youkai and Japanese folklore. If you haven't read Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan, it's basically the book on that stuff and an incredible read.