Strange Japanese Yokai: A Guide to Weird and Wonderful Monsters, Demons and Spirits

Since time immemorial, Japan has been inhabited by supernatural creatures, spirits, monsters and demons...Here’s your chance to meet them up close and personal!

Strange Japanese Yokai assembles an extraordinary collection of mysterious creatures in every possible shape and size, each with their own unique back story. Some are well-known, others obscure. The one thing they share in common is that they are creepy and weird!

The 122 different Yokai described in this book include:

• The Kappa: A dangerous creature who lives in lakes and rivers and attacks passers-by
• The Nurarihyon: A mysterious Yokai with a huge head who steals food, tobacco and alcohol
• The Yadokai: A mischievous former monk who wanders at night vandalizing and being a pest
• The Ohaguru: A scary Yokai with black teeth who looks like a beautiful woman from afar until she gets closer, smiles, and reveals herself
• And over 100 more!

Yokai expert Kenji Murakami identifies each Yokai, explains the history, where they commonly appear, and their strange powers. The book is illustrated with hundreds of full-color drawings showcasing the fascinating features of these strange creatures. Every monster here, no matter how disgusting, is part of the rich cultural legacy of Japan.

*Recommended for readers ages 14 & up*

Kenji Murakami is a Yokai expert based in Japan. He travels throughout the country researching Yokai traditions. He has published many books on Yokai including the Dictionary of Yokai and the Encyclopedia of Japanese Yokai. He is a member of the World Yokai Association and a facilitator of the Haunted Friends Association.

Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer and folklorist. He is the author of Yurei: The Japanese Ghost, Yokai Stories and Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, and the translator of Leiji Matsumoto’s Space Battleship Yamato, Go Nagai’s Devilman, and Shigeru Mizuki’s Kitaro. He has lectured on translation, manga and folklore at Duke University, UCLA, and University of Washington, as well as contributed to exhibitions at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.