Art of the Yokai: The Depiction of the Supernatural in Edo and Meiji period Japanese Art and its Impact on Contemporary Popular Culture

Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre, ukiyo-e woodblock triptych, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1844.

Yokai are supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. In ancient Japan, spirits were thought to be formless and invisible to the human eye. However, as artistic traditions developed, it became necessary to visually depict the spirits and monsters from stories. These begun as painted scrolls, and later expanded into multi-volume illustrated encyclopaedias of strange tales and supernatural stories.

The Ghost of Kohada Koheiji, from the series One Hundred Ghost Stories (Hyaku monogatari), Katsushika Hokusai, 1831-32.

The Lantern Ghost Iwa, Katsushika Hokusai, 1831-32.

Hidesato, from the series One Hundres Ghost Stories from China and Japan, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1865, A series of yokai nishiki-e consisting of 26 drawings and an index. The yokai stories that have been handed down since ancient times were drawn by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and accompanying the drawings is text written by Kanagaki Robun and others.