Author Talk and Signing: Natalie Anna Jacobsen, author of Yokai Fantasy Ghost Train

Meet Natalie Anna Jacobsen
Debut Author Natalie Anna Jacobsen visits Japan Society to celebrate the launch of her first book, the Young Adult Historical Yokai Fantasy Ghost Train.

“A haunting and immersive read.” – Eva Wong Nava, author of The House of Little Sisters

“With lyrical prose that evokes the mystique of 19th-century Kyoto, this meticulously researched narrative weaves together historical authenticity with the ethereal allure of yokai folklore.” – Jake Adelstein, journalist and author of Tokyo Vice and The Last Yakuza

In partnership with SelectBooks.

Japan Society is honored to welcome debut author Natalie Anna Jacobsen for a special talk and signing in celebration of the release of her first book, Ghost Train, a Young Adult historical fantasy set in 1877 Kyoto during the early years of the Meiji Restoration.

Ghost Train tells the story of Maru Hosokawa, a samurai daughter now thrust into a difficult new era. With the Meiji Restoration, foreign inventions—trains, electricity and telephones—are introduced, but with them come plagues and demons. Maru’s father, a retired samurai, has laid down his sword and ventures far from home to be a merchant, leaving Maru alone to find work and help rebuild her family. 

And then ghosts start to visit Maru.

They ask her for help to find their murderer: a demon on the loose. Although she flees at first, she can’t outrun her grief over missing her father, the anxiety over her future, nor her destiny. Against a backdrop of summer festivals and rainstorms, Maru must confront authority and her fears, before she becomes the next ghost.

Inspired by true historical events and based on yokai myths, this story was built with guidance by historians and subject matter experts both in Japan and the U.S. and looks to reflect 19th-century life during the tumultuous, society-altering leadership of Emperor Meiji… with just a few more ghosts.

Natalie Anna Jacobsen 
Natalie Jacobsen began writing fiction in high school, and after publishing her first newspaper article at age 13, she was invited to hone her craft in creative writing programs locally and overseas. In college, she turned her interest in storytelling into journalistic endeavors. After graduating, she wrote and photographed for magazines, television and music studios in Japan for years. 

Natalie’s educational background includes creative writing at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Georgetown University’s political science program, New York Film Academy in Kyoto, NGen’s Leaderosity and the Self Aware Leader program and the University of Oregon Honors College. For more about her, visit najacobsen.com or follow her at @natalieannaj on Threads, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Ghost Train is her debut novel. At its heart is a ghost story that analyzes how legends are born.

Moderated by Susan Miyagi McCormac
Susan Miyagi McCormac is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of japanculture-nyc.com, an English-language website launched in 2011 to introduce New Yorkers to Japanese culture and to promote Japan-related events.

Beyond the website, Susan serves as a Vice President of the Japanese American Association of New York, she is on the Board of Directors of the JET Alumni Association of New York and she co-chairs the Communications Committee of the U.S.-Japan Council’s New York Region. The Japanese government selected her as a member of the 2024 Japanese American Leadership Delegation.

Further, Susan has built a career in sports television that has taken her to Tokyo to cover the 2004 New York Yankees opening series and the last three World Baseball Classics. In 2022, she moderated a panel celebrating the 150th anniversary of baseball’s introduction to Japan, featuring Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees legend Hideki Matsui.

Susan lives in Brooklyn with her cat, Mugi, and she enjoys frequent trips to Daiso at Japan Village.

Autographs and Book Sales
Attendees of Japan Society’s Natalie Anna Jacobsen talk and signing will be able to purchase copies of Ghost Train at the event or bring books from home for a signing session following the author’s talk.

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Culture & Entertainment programs are generously supported by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, an anonymous donor, and the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund.