From the introduction: In the beginning of the Taisho Era in Japan it has been more than forty years since the Meiji revolution, more than thirty since it was made illegal by government edict to carry a sword, and the traditional ways of life in the Land of the Rising Sun have faded and many have been set aside in favor of increasing industrialization and westernization. You are as likely to see a man in a suit coat as you are to see one wearing kimono if you go into the city. As tradition fades, so too do ancient superstitions. So when a village elder tells you stories of man-eating demons that wander the night lusting after the flesh of the unwary and implores you not to go out after the sun has set you smile indulgently and agree, but you do not believe them. There is no such thing as demons you say in your heart, and you set out into the dark.