Introduction Literature is one of the main sources of information that describe people the way their predecessors lived and a value system they had. Being one of the integral parts of human culture, it has always been used to manifest peoples thoughts and feelings related to a certain issue or phenomena. Moreover, the difference in mentalities and perspectives peculiar to bearers of various cultures preconditioned the appearance of the unique masterpieces that could help to understand the peculiarities of peoples lives in ancient times. In this regard, when reading a great masterpiece that was created at a certain epoch, a reader could not but dig into the atmosphere peculiar to that period. Besides, the comprehensive analysis of this creation could also help to acquire an improved understanding of certain phenomena and issues that were topical and attracted peoples attention. For this reason, the investigation of ancient texts might also help us to understand the moral and the approach to a certain issue. Background Besides, ancient Japanese literature could be taken as a source that contributes to a better understanding of the main peculiarities of culture and the unique traditions of this state. Numerous works could be considered a part of cultural heritage. Besides, The Tale of Genji and Tales of Times Now Past belongs to the same period and have numerous common features that help to analyze the style peculiar to that epoch and cogitate about the most important phenomena that were interesting for people. Both these works were created at the Heian period and revolve around similar issues. Moreover, their adherence to the same era explains convergence in style and approaches towards the description of the most important events and phenomena that impacted peoples lives. Their structure is different; however, there are still several characters and representatives of supernatural powers that play a crucial role in the development of a plot and contribute to a better understanding of their nature. Supernatural in the Japanese literature Moreover, both these stories give attention to supernatural beings that have an overwhelming impact on peoples lives. Traditionally, Japanese culture was rich in various mythological creatures that communicated with people, impacted their destinies, and altered the existed reality. For this reason, both the above-mentioned texts were not able to ignore the given aspect of culture. Supernatural forces play a significant role in the evolution of a plot and the main characters destiny. This fact could be taken as a certain distinctive feature peculiar to ancient Japanese texts. The unique and rich mythology is reflected in numerous literary works and folklore. Therefore, there are various approaches to the description of these forces and the role they play. Both good and evil spirits interact with the environment and the main characters and promote a better understanding of certain actions and events. Tales of Times Now Past Besides, Tales of Times Now Past revolves around numerous Buddhist and secular motifs and contains several episodes peculiar to folklore. The tales that comprise the collection covers a wide range of