Kaidan Restaurant

Kaidan Restaurant (Japanese: 怪談レストラン, Hepburn: Kaidan Resutoran) is a Japanese children's storybook series. The books take the form of horror anthologies, edited by Miyoko Matsutani and illustrated by Yoshikazu Takai and Kumiko Katō. As of 2007, there were 50 volumes published by Doshinsha. Over 8 million copies of the books have been published so far. The books were adapted into a TV anime series by Toei Animation, which began airing in 2009. It derives its name from "kaidan", which loosely translates to "thriller" (from "kai", meaning strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition, and "dan", meaning talk or recited narrative; a more direct translation would be a ghost or horror story). Rather than forming a linear plot, the anime follows the anthology format of the book and tells a collection of ghost stories similar to what would be traditionally told around a campfire. The anime was frequently among the 10 highest rated anime shows of the week in Japan. The series was adapted into a hybrid live-action and anime feature film in 2010 starring Ayano Kudo.