For the ancient and medieval Japanese, yokai had real power in their lives. They embodied the unexplainable and fearful things one could encounter. But in the Edo Period (1600-1868) this changed drastically. [1]

Yōkai (妖怪, "strange apparition") are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore.

Feb 13, 2021 · Yokai is not simply the Japanese word for demon, as is sometimes believed. They are the embodiment of a moment: a feeling of dread and bewilderment, or awe and wonder over an extraordinary event; or a strange sound or peculiar scent that demands an explanation; an ineffable phenomenon explained only by a supernatural entity.

Feb 5, 2013 · The Golden Age of yokai was the Edo period (1603-1868), an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity. Folklorists and artists like Toriyama Sekien (鳥山石燕; 1712 – 1788) scoured the country for obscure legends and half-whispered folktales to populate their Yokai Encyclopedias and illustrated yokai scrolls.

Mar 15, 2022 · This “fictionalization” of bakemono, which is to say yōkai, began in the mid–Edo era, around the eighteenth century. It was driven by a shift in the way cityfolk thought about nature.

Yokai (ghosts and supernatural) Yōkai-themed Japanese prints remain among the hottest, highly desirable subject matter depicted in ukiyo-e. Yōkai, translated literally as the "supernatural", are often depicted as having animal features, such as wings or …

Before this time, yōkai was used to explain the unexplainable and embody the collective fears of Japanese society. However, starting in the Edo period (1600-1868), yōkai became more like...

The Edo period (1603-1868) marked a golden age for yokai, as the flourishing urban culture of the time gave rise to a plethora of stories, artwork, and literature centered around these supernatural beings.

Yōkai may have had their roots in the local folk beliefs of rural communities in the Edo period and earlier, but now they were becoming popular culture characters—television stars—known by children (and their parents) throughout the nation.

In Japanese folklore, yokai are specters, ghosts, monsters or apparitions that take on bizarre forms and startle people in their daily lives. The number of pictures and paintings depicting those forms increased dramatically during the Edo period (1603–1867), and yokai became a …