Yamamba: In Search of the Japanese Mountain Witch

Yamamba: In Search of the Japanese Mountain Witch

Co-editors Rebecca Copeland and Linda C. Ehrlich bring us a fascinating collection of yamamba (Japanese mountain witch) stories. They first met the yamamba in the powerful short story “The Smile of the Mountain Witch” by acclaimed woman writer Ōba Minako. The story revealed the compelling way creative women can take charge of misogynistic tropes, invert them, and use them to tell new stories of female empowerment.