Born on the Greek island of Lefkada, Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was
brought up in both Ireland and England. At nineteen he emigrated to the
United States where he became a journalist. After a sojourn in the
French West Indies, he sailed for Japan in 1890. Hearn wrote extensively about his new homeland, its tales, customs, and religions, acting as a
bridge between Japan and the Western world. He died in Tokyo where he is buried under his Japanese name, Koizumi Yakumo.
