The Dream of Akinosuke

The Dream of Akinosuke (あきのすけの夢, Akinosuke no Yume) is a Japanese folktale, made famous outside Japan by Lafcadio Hearn's translation of the story in Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things.

The story is said to bring together several strands of Japanese folklore, including the fact that even insects can manipulate the human soul. The Dream of Akinosuke also references Horai, another Japanese folktale recorded by Hearn in Kwaidan. It is evidently derived from a Japanese adaptation of the Tang dynasty tale, The Governor of Nanke, (南柯太守传) by Li Gongzuo (李公佐). However, there are some significant differences.