Yokai are mysterious creatures of chinese folklore. Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of japan. It was funded through kickstarter in 2011 and first published in 2012. Ubagabithe ghost of an old woman that appears as fireball. Buy this book using my link and support my channel. I really liked how the author decided to structure this book. By exploring yokai as a concept, we can better understand.
Meyer will speak on the history and development of japanese folklore in regards to ghosts and. Japanese yokai, japanese art, japanese folklore, horror pictures, spirit world, drawing techniques, cityscapes, demons, urban decay what others are saying japanese mythology japanese folklore art of fighting fighting games character portraits character art battle chasers gamers anime monster characters. Yama no ke mountains, michi no ke paths, ki no ke trees, mizu no ke water, umi no ke the sea, yuki no ke snow, oto no ke sound, doubutsu no ke animals, either real or imaginary. Nuedori nuebird described as a birdbeast, the nue lacks any avian physical features. The connection between tokai and japanese people is deep, and the religious and cultural belief that japanese people have are often coming from the awe and respect for these spiritual beings. Some yokai are based on japanese folklore, fables and some were created from noh theatres and books. Aburaakago an infant ghost who licks the oil out of andon lamps. It also invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. The book is easy to read, and at the same time immensely informative on the complicated and varied ways yokai have existed throughout japanese history. However, some japanese believed that these yokai existed during ancient times and that it still lingers around until today. A mustread book for anybody interested in yokai or japanese folkloric traditions.
These are the three monsters who, according to legend, posed the greatest threats to japans existence. They are shuten doji, tamamo no mae, and sutoku tenno. The book of yokai by michael dylan foster, 9780520271029, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Media in category legendary creatures of japan the following 73 files are in this category, out of 73 total. Explore captivating myths of japanese deities, yokai, heroes and heroines the study of mythology and folklore is a peculiar one to the extent that we are looking into things which are generally regarded as untrue yet critically important to a culture. Popular japanese yokai and mythical creatures japanwalkersea. These yokai are mostly mythical creatures made up to scare children. See more ideas about japanese yokai, weird creatures, shinto. What are the best books in english about japanese mythology.
The best fantastical japanese mythology books anime impulse. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in. It also invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and. Aug 16, 2019 yokai ghosts, monsters, spirits and demons in japan and other monsters.
An old man who rides the avalanche, or an ancient god of snow. Theres an ancient japanese legend of the one hundred yokaimonsters, ghosts, apparitions and demonswho parade through the streets on hot summer nights. They are available from in paperback and kindle formats the night parade of one hundred demons, written and illustrated by matthew meyer, is a 224page fullcolor yokai encyclopedia containing over 100 creatures from japanese folklore. Some of them have never appeared in english before, while others will be intimately familiar to fans of japanese folklore. It exists largely outside the japanese yokai canon, best known from the tale of the heike 71 the kanji for the word nue are night and bird. Mysterious creatures of japanese folklore, a collection of illustrations and richly detailed stories about the mythological creatures that have long existed in japan. In japan, mystical creatures such as monsters, ogres, and fairies are all called yokai. Manga by paul gravett samurai films by roland thorne the book of yokai by michael dylan foster japan in days of yore by walter. Buy products related to japanese folklore products and see what customers say about. The book of yokai download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi.
Welcome to, the illustrated database of japanese folklore. It is likely that the legend of the nue started with a chinese bird. The brilliant japanese folklore that inspires anime new book by maddie crum the following is an excerpt from the book of yokai. It also invites listeners to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. The book of yokai audiobook by michael dylan foster. But what are the best yokai books for you and your busy schedule. The main shrine building stands at the foot of mount inari, with the iconic red torii gatelined path winding up to the peak behind it. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shapeshifting foxes and longtongued ceilinglickers. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to. The yuki jiji is a mysterious, powerful figure in japanese folklore. While there were religious publications such as the jisha engi. The book of yokai monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of japan. Mysterious creatures of japanese folklore by foster.
A captivating guide to japanese folklore, myths, fairy tales, yokai, heroes and heroines explore captivating myths of japanese deities, yokai, heroes and heroines the study of mythology and folklore is a peculiar one to the ext. Mysterious creatures of japanese folklore ebook written by michael dylan foster. Yuki onba and yukinko the snow mother and the snow child. University of california press, 2015 the metamorphosis of the kappa. In japanese folklore, they fool humans like the fox kitsune and tanuki. Much of japanese mythology revolves around these yokai and their mischievous outings all throughout japanese history. Interest in yokai books have increased in the united states because of japanese films, books, and video games.
Meyer published his first book on yokai, the night parade of one hundred demons in 2012. But did you know that there are official top three lists for folklore. Discover japanese folklore books kinokuniya webstore. Before shrines were built, natural spaces where kami shinto deities were believed to be present were used for worship. Weird monsters of japanese folklore dangerous minds. Kijin shinonome monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of japan. See more ideas about japan, art and japanese folklore. Abumiguchi a furry creature formed from the stirrup of a mounted military commander who worked for yamata no orochi. Other yokai and japanese folklore books the book of yokai. The following is a list of demons, ghosts, yokai, obake, yurei and other legendary creatures that are notable in japanese folklore and mythology. The two words are often used interchangeably, but for our purposes we will say that yurei refer to human ghosts and yokai to magical creatures of all sorts, these beings can range from the mischievous to the malevolent to the helpful. The book of yokai is a fascinating and enormously informative study.
Mysterious creatures of japanese folklore 0884330271206. Yokai are indexed in the book sogo nihon minzoku goi, a complete dictionary of japanese folklore as follows. Mysterious creatures of japanese folklore by michael dylan foster, shinonome kijin at barnes. Click each title to read the full story of each yokai. One notable type of yokai is the gashodokuro, giant. Dec 28, 2014 this is a wonderful and highly informative book for anyone who is fascinated by folklore and its history until today. The brilliant japanese folklore that inspires anime new. The night parade of one hundred demons, written and illustrated by matthew meyer, is a 224page fullcolor yokai encyclopedia containing over 100 creatures from japanese folklore. Within these pages youll find an evergrowing collection of yokai and legends from all parts of japan and all periods of japanese history. The being was originally said to be completely invisible, or in some cases it was attributed to the mischievous tanuki. Michael dylan foster is one of the big names in english version japanese folklore, and youll find that the majority of somewhat intelligent yokai books are his contribution. The book of yokai mysterious creatures of japanese folklore. Yokai youkai a class of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in japanese folklore. Dec 16, 2014 the book of yokai is a fascinating and enormously informative study.
I enjoyed learning about the writers and scholars whose yokai related work has kept the folklore alive into our modern times. The book of yokai provides a lively excursion into japanese folklore and its everexpanding influence on global popular culture. Jan 14, 2015 the book of yokai provides a lively excursion into japanese folklore and its everexpanding influence on global popular culture. Book of yokai mysterious creatures of japanese folklore. Foster, a folklore professor at indiana university and author of pandemonium and parade. Apr 24, 2017 6 famous yokai, mystical creatures from japan. In the noto region, ishikawa prefecture, there are stories where they shapeshift into beautiful women or children wearing checkerpatterned clothing, and if a human attempts to speak to one. Michael dylan foster monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of japan.
Also the look at some possible origins for our favorite yokai. It contains over 100 fully illustrated entries featuring many yokai which were imported into japanese folklore from other cultures. Fushimi inaritaisha is an ancient shrine, founded in 711, making it one of kyotos oldest and most significant places. Bernstein for the new york times the students who come into the fields of japanese literature and folklore as undergraduates are heavily influenced by popular culture, mr. Yama no ke mountains, michi no ke paths, ki no ke trees, mizu no ke water, umi no ke the sea, yuki no ke snow, oto no ke sound, doubutsu no ke. If you enjoy this site, please consider supporting the artist by buying the books. Transformation from folklore to folklorism in japan. If anyone is unfortunate to see these creaturesor to be caught up in itthen they will perish away or worse be taken captive for the twisted pleasure. In one tale, a tanuki playfully transforms into a steam train. What makes nurikabe interesting as far as yokai go is that the ghostly apparition is a case study in how depictions of folklore change over time. University of california press, 2009 yokai and yanagita kunio viewed from the 21st century. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and. Feb 18, 2019 dive into the yokai world and discover the mysteries about these fantastic and magickal creatures from the japanese folklore.
318 289 1499 654 1146 845 317 203 288 1021 211 361 425 1288 891 1268 863 678 684 1270 384 1361 37 1322 510 1271 1231 947 563 226 1396 1207 898 974 523 344 1119 960 192 374 1014