Ukiyo-e expert Andreas Marks digs deep into the folklore of Japan’s most terrifying creatures, detailing 100 supernatural beings with lavish illustrations.
From badgering nuisances to downright evil forces, yōkai fill some of the most colorful corners of Japanese folklore. These artists are dreaming up even more.
Yokai are supernatural entities from traditional Japanese folklore, popularised in modern culture by movies and series like GeGeGe no Kitaro, My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away.
/ Adobe Stock)
Many will tell you something is out there. In Europe’s Little Red Riding Hood tale, it was known as the Big Bad Wolf. In Japan it was known as the Okuri-Inu (the sending-off dog) or often enough as the Okuri-Okami (the sending-off wolf).
Both tales are revered in their respected culture and have granted many both joy and warning upon hearing them, as early cultures used story telling as a form of communication: by offering advice that the roads ahead were filled with dangers, or comforting children and adults during the night to ease their worries.
Japanese Yokai spirits, including the Okuri-Inu or Okuri-Okami, are many and not all are evil, per se. (
Who knew innocent little Fluffy could be so devious? Cats’ reputations have often swayed from good to evil over the years as they have been both revered and feared around the world. One of the most famous malevolent associations cats have had is undoubtedly with witchcraft. Another, arguably lesser-known connection comes from Japan, in the form of the mythical and legendary Bakeneko and Nekomata creatures.
The Vampire Cat of Nabéshima
Another popular tale about a Nekomata involves the Changing Cat, a prince, a geisha, and a soldier. The story begins with the Nekomata watching the favorite geisha return to her room after a night with the prince. It waited until she was asleep then crept in, pounced on the sleeping geisha, and strangled her. The cat then dragged the body outside where it buried the unfortunate woman under some flowers. Following the murder, the Nekomata transformed into the geisha’s form.