Surname 1
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Professor's Name
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Date of Submission
Yōkai Art
In Japan, Yōkai is a term used in reference to legendary spirits, monsters, and ghosts. These
fictional characters are rooted in Japan's beliefs in animism, nature providence, and Japanese
religion. They attribute the mythical beings with bizarre behaviors to explain why certain
mysterious events happened in the past. The term Yōkai comes from Kanji, meaning bewitching,
attractive, wonder, or mystery (Foster). Most of the Yōkai are depicted in humanoid forms and
shapeshifting characteristics due to their human-nature connection. An example of Yōkai art is
Susanoo slaying Yamata no Orochi, who is believed to be an eight-tailed and eight-headed
Japanese serpent. This essay analyzes the Yōkai art by Toyohara Chikanobu and its significance
and influence in the Japanese culture.
Mythology
Yōkai is believed to possess supernatural abilities beyond a human's powers. Some were
believed to be bad, while others were just mischievous. Visual representations of Yōkai art began
in 1185-1600 CE though its history dates back to the eighth century. They were known to take the
form of human-made objects thrown away by owners. They later began taking inanimate object
forms at night to perform pranks on people or take revenge (Foster). However, while other spirits
, Surname 2
were known for their violent nature, others were known to bring good luck to people who
encountered them.
The myth holds that some of the elders, especially the respected elders, would transform
into Yōkai once they died. They became protective spirits known as nigi-mitama, protecting their
worshipers. The evil spirits, also known as ara-mitama, were harmful and dangerous to humans.
Therefore, rituals were performed to calm them down and stop misfortune from happening to those
who encountered them and stop the fear from the belief (Foster). It was believed that spirits turn
into Yōkai if they lost believers and worshipers, which caused them to lose their divinity.
However, as time progressed, the fear of the spirits and Yōkai reduced as supernatural
monsters' beliefs reduced. Consequently, the once-feared monsters and ghosts depicted in old
scrolls became nothing more than caricatures rather than feared entities (Foster). The legends then
started being introduced in entertainment fields to the Japanese public during the middle ages when
the Yōkai tales became formalized.
Yōkai is also known to possess animal forms, such as wings, feathers, tails, and human
forms. Some possess shapeshifting abilities and are known as obake or bakemono. Japanese
folklorists depict Yōkai as supernatural personifications to account for inexplicable phenomena to
informants during the time. Historians claim that artists later started reproducing Yōkai art from
the 14th century or maybe earlier than that, documenting Japanese tools' reverence. Such art was
created from the famous tales or pure artists' imagination. Therefore, today's Yōkai art is thought
to originate from traditional folklore (Foster). An example is an art of Susanoo slaying Yamata no
Orochi drawn on a woodblock by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
Student's Name
Professor's Name
Course Number
Date of Submission
Yōkai Art
In Japan, Yōkai is a term used in reference to legendary spirits, monsters, and ghosts. These
fictional characters are rooted in Japan's beliefs in animism, nature providence, and Japanese
religion. They attribute the mythical beings with bizarre behaviors to explain why certain
mysterious events happened in the past. The term Yōkai comes from Kanji, meaning bewitching,
attractive, wonder, or mystery (Foster). Most of the Yōkai are depicted in humanoid forms and
shapeshifting characteristics due to their human-nature connection. An example of Yōkai art is
Susanoo slaying Yamata no Orochi, who is believed to be an eight-tailed and eight-headed
Japanese serpent. This essay analyzes the Yōkai art by Toyohara Chikanobu and its significance
and influence in the Japanese culture.
Mythology
Yōkai is believed to possess supernatural abilities beyond a human's powers. Some were
believed to be bad, while others were just mischievous. Visual representations of Yōkai art began
in 1185-1600 CE though its history dates back to the eighth century. They were known to take the
form of human-made objects thrown away by owners. They later began taking inanimate object
forms at night to perform pranks on people or take revenge (Foster). However, while other spirits
, Surname 2
were known for their violent nature, others were known to bring good luck to people who
encountered them.
The myth holds that some of the elders, especially the respected elders, would transform
into Yōkai once they died. They became protective spirits known as nigi-mitama, protecting their
worshipers. The evil spirits, also known as ara-mitama, were harmful and dangerous to humans.
Therefore, rituals were performed to calm them down and stop misfortune from happening to those
who encountered them and stop the fear from the belief (Foster). It was believed that spirits turn
into Yōkai if they lost believers and worshipers, which caused them to lose their divinity.
However, as time progressed, the fear of the spirits and Yōkai reduced as supernatural
monsters' beliefs reduced. Consequently, the once-feared monsters and ghosts depicted in old
scrolls became nothing more than caricatures rather than feared entities (Foster). The legends then
started being introduced in entertainment fields to the Japanese public during the middle ages when
the Yōkai tales became formalized.
Yōkai is also known to possess animal forms, such as wings, feathers, tails, and human
forms. Some possess shapeshifting abilities and are known as obake or bakemono. Japanese
folklorists depict Yōkai as supernatural personifications to account for inexplicable phenomena to
informants during the time. Historians claim that artists later started reproducing Yōkai art from
the 14th century or maybe earlier than that, documenting Japanese tools' reverence. Such art was
created from the famous tales or pure artists' imagination. Therefore, today's Yōkai art is thought
to originate from traditional folklore (Foster). An example is an art of Susanoo slaying Yamata no
Orochi drawn on a woodblock by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
