Lafcadio Hearn 
In Ghostly Japan (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) 

This 1899 collection of essays contains some chilling ghost stories, but it is primarily a study of the cultural significance of ghosts and the occult in Japan.  Hearn’s astonishing ability to penetrate a foreign sensibility and convey a portion of its mysterious essence to Western readers, without in the process traducing his subject, is alluring.

About the author

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), also known as Koizumi Yakumo, was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, spent years in America, and finally became a citizen of Japan.  A journalist and translator, he played a major role in introducing Japanese culture to the West.  His translations of Japanese fairy tales and ghost stories were especially influential.