Japanese Yokai Research Paper

In my exploration of the Japanese culture, I was intrigued by the shift in connotations or views of Japanese yokai from the ones depicted in traditional folklore to that of modern media. In this essay I will endeavor to convey how the media has transformed the yokai image to one of popularization in order to better relate to the masses.
Yokai, are strange and supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore and is sometimes translated as monster, demon, spirit, or goblin, but it can encompass all of that and more. The world of yokai also includes ghosts, gods (kami), transformed humans and animals (bakemono), spirit possession (tsukimono), urban legends, and other strange phenomena (Meyer). For lack of a better way to describe yokai than in its native language, it will be referred to as only such.
Japanese folklore is an amalgamation of different traditions, with a foundation in the folk religions of isolated tribes living on the Japanese isles. These traditions were modified by Shinto and later Buddhism, incorporating elements from Chinese and Indian folklore as well (Meyer). These outside religions and beliefs have molded the Japanese culture and fostered the current yokai.
The oldest recorded …show more content…
The images of yokai that were displayed on the scrolls usually modeled the yokai as unattractive and hideous. This was to reflect the ugliness of their existence. Yokai were an unpleasant existence and were usually the harbinger of disaster. To see or interact with a yokai, would mean it was too late. Many of the yokai were a nuisance, the lesser of which while not inherently dangerous could cause some problems for a person. Occasionally there were some who would bring good fortune, but those usually brought this good fortune at the expense of another’s. This belief reflects a belief in a world limited good, where there is a specific amount of good to be