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The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore
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Book Overview
This Description may be from another edition of this product.
A lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its ever-expanding influence on global popular culture through the concept of yokai.
Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, readers will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries, some with original illustrations, on more than fifty individual creatures. The Book of Yokai invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. By exploring yokai as a concept, we can better understand broader processes of tradition, innovation, storytelling, and individual and communal creativity.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore
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How long does it take to read The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore?
It takes about 5 Hours and 22 minutes on average for a reader to read The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore. This is based on the average reading speed of 250 Words per minute.
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How long is The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore?
The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore is 336 pages long.
- Who wrote The Book Of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures Of Japanese Folklore?
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Book Reviews (6)
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I was not impressed.
Derived From Web , Feb 27, 2021
Basically, I thought it was boring, you don't really get to the Kodama themselves until Page 115, Kodama gets half a page tree spirits and in Princess Mononoke cute, ball-like creatures that make a clicking sound... soooo informative. Page 115 is about half way through the book, which is kind of my point with the text being 244 pages. I did not find it interesting or informative, but apparently lots of people do. FWIW :
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Recommended to buy:
No
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Not Worth It.
Derived From Web , Feb 2, 2021
This book does more about the author's journey than Yokai... I am very disappointed. There are probably 20 pictures in this book, so don 't be deceived by the reviews, including a number of illustrations... This book is more for someone who wants to take Yokai in a class about it.
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Recommended to buy:
No
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Scholarly but useful as a pop culture reference
Derived From Web , Sep 4, 2019
Scholarly but useful as a pop culture reference, essays on different classes of Yokai categorized by location, where each is likely to be encountered by humans. I could have used a few more illustrations, but this is a minor inconvenience. Good value for money.
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Recommended to buy:
Yes
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Highly recommended for anyone interested in Japanese folklore and/or yokai
Derived From Web , Oct 14, 2018
I have picked this book because I really enjoy reading and learning about Lore in all cultures and Yokai themselves are such a fascinating topic. I think the thing that makes Yuokai so fascinating is that they continue to evolve and even to this day they are everywhere in Japan. I think it's one of the few places in the world that is really likes it. I recommend this book especially to anyone interested in Japanese folklore and/or yokai in general. I know that there were complaints about the lack of imagery in the book and their quality. There are 310 page illustrations, however, so that 10 images per 100 pages is average. That's kind of academic for an almost decent book. The images are also drawn in a traditional style, so it is almost impossible to draw. Notes and bibliography are both incredibly useful and have given me a list of more books to buy.
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Recommended to buy:
Yes
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One of my new favorite books.
Derived From Web , Feb 22, 2018
Like an academic book, very well written. I am only a few pages in, but I am absolutely in love with this book! The illustrations are personal and the inserts of beautiful experiences and stories bind together the book. I am so glad i found this with just a passing glance ''. In the rough it is certainly a diamond.
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Recommended to buy:
Yes
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Yokai Textbook
Derived From Web , Jul 12, 2017
If you are looking for a collection of pretty pictures, this is not the book. There are some illustrations, but this is generally a textbook on Yokai. Had some great Shinto myth and creature stories. If you have a good knowledge of Yokai and want to know a little more, this is a great book. Could be heavy on the topic for a beginner.
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Recommended to buy:
Yes
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