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The concept of spirits and the afterlife is a common motif in many cultural works throughout the world. Within the Kwaidan selections, searching and aimless spirits, portray ghastly brutality as we read about them mutilating, murdering, and haunting without remorse. The theme of untamed brutality pervades throughout many tales in the Kwaidan selections, including “The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi,” “Yuki-Onna,” as well as the “The Story of O-Tei.” Ultimately, there is no escape from the wrath of these aimless spirits. In “The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi,” the notion of untamed brutality within the spirits is immediately brought forth with a description of how the spirits “would rise about ships passing in the night, and try to sink them; and at all times they would watch for swimmers, to pull them down” (Kwaidan, 4). From the very get go, the theme of untamed brutality is introduced. The purposeless nature of these spirits sends a chill to the reader, which reaches a peek when the servants discover Hoichi “sitting alone in the rain before the memorial tomb of Antoku Tenno,” followed by a intimidating message from the priest to Hoichi about the nature of these beastly spirits (Kwaidan, 14). Alas, this violent