The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore

I am and have been a long time lover of culture and religion. So much of my reading over the years, focuses on non-fiction titles which can be classified in those two categories.First off, I have never read anything else by this author, and this is the first book completely dedicated to the yokai that I have read. So my knowledge as well as my experience may be a bit flawed by these facts.Over all this is a really good book, and a very readable book, the latter will come as a bit of a surprise to those whom are familiar with academic writings. Which this book is, but the author says very early on in the book that his aim while writing was to bridge the gap between academic and lay reading, and I think he did a very good job at this.Now don't get me wrong, there are a few places where it gets bogged down a bit, in explanation and theory, but it doesn't last long.I think the most useful thing about this book, not only the obvious that you will gain a lot more understanding about the yokai, but also, how "beings" and "ideas" such as the yokai, have changed, adapted and evolved alongside the Japanese culture, with no break by a competing or subjugating rival religion.This is something as westerners we do not have the luxury of enjoying when it comes to pre-Abrahamic beliefs, as they did the favor of either erasing, changing or subverting our ancestors pagan beliefs to the point that eventually you have to dig through a cultural array of different "Christian" festivals and traditions, to get the puzzle pieces of one unified idea or another. Doable, and is done.But its nice for a change to be able to see the entire "horizon" if you will, without having to change our vantage point over and over again.I think there is a lot to be learned here from that perspective, on top of yokai in general.In the end, if you have even a faint interest in yokai, and you are relatively or completely new to the study, I imagine this book probably ranks high up there in areas to not only begin but get your footing.

I picked up this book because I really enjoy reading and learning about the lore in all cultures and yokai themselves are such a fascinating topic. I think the thing that makes yokai 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's really like that (maybe Iceland to an extent as well). I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in folklore and/or yokai in general. I know that there were complaints about the lack of images in the book and their quality. However, there are 30 images in a 310 page book(that's counting the back pages of notes, references, and index) so about 10 images per 100 pages. That's pretty decent for an academic-esque book. Also, the images are drawn in a traditional style so yeah. The notes and bibliography are both incredibly useful and have given me a list of more books to buy.

While I have not finished the book yet, I will say I fully enjoy it. I am very interested in Japanese culture and also the various stories/myths/etc..Also as an artist always looking to learn more about the legends and creatures of different cultures. This book is more of the academic. If you are looking for something with just a bunch of stories of youkai and pictures, then this isn't exactly the book for you. The first part of the book gives a nice look into the history of the youkai in Japanese culture, their evolution, and so on. The second part of the book has a few illustrations and a listing of various youkai with descriptions and mentions some of the tales surrounding them. I would say if you are someone who has been interested in the subject and are looking to learn more about how these various entities appear and evolved in Japanese culture you might enjoy it. If you are looking for a quick summary of youkai, or a more illustrated piece, then you may be disappointed. For me, I gave it 5 stars because I find it quite enjoyable and interesting. Although, that is just my opinion.

Fine book. If you're looking for a bunch 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 tales. If you have a little knowledge of yokai and want to know a good bit more, this is a great book. Could be heavy for a beginner on the topic.

Choose it!

Very well written, like an academic book. I am only a few pages in, but i am already absolutely in love with this book! The illustrations are beautiful, and the inserts of personal experiences and stories ties the book together. I am so glad i found this with just a passing glance. Certainly a diamond in the rough.

Scholarly but useful as a pop culture reference, Essays on different classes of Yokai (spirits or spiritually inhabited objects in Japanese culture) classified by location (wilderness, countryside, home, etc.)where each is likely to be encountered by humans. This is followed by a catalog of yokai types. I could have used a few more illustrations, but this is a minor hindrance. Good value.

A must-read book for anybody interested in yokai or Japanese folkloric traditions. Can be used for academic purposes but isn't dry. Michael Dylan Foster is one of the big names in English version Japanese folklore, and you'll find that the majority of somewhat intelligent yokai books are his contribution. For a more casual read, try Yokai Attack.

I wanted a book on Japanese mythical creatures. What I got was a social studies essay that used the words "diverse" and "diversity" on almost every page. Often twice on a page. Frequently interrupting the myths and legends to give a feminist perspective, the book ends with a lecture on the dangers of global warming.When the book is actually about yokai it's great, and as a Studio Ghibli fan learning the connection between many Ghibli films and yokai is very interesting to me. I did not enjoy the social studies lecture.

This is an absolutely fascinating read not only detailing what each yokai is but how the stories, myths and legends came to be. Each chapter is thoughtfully laid out with text interspersed with really beautiful period art work and details about the drawings. The stories are rich and informative giving an insight into Japanese history that can only come in folklore.Another aspect of this book is really liked was the faithfulness to the Japanese language. As a student of Japanese it was really nice to see words writen not only in English but in hirigana, katakana and kanji with an explanation of the characters and symbols and how's they break down into the name of each yokai. It gives an extra dimension to the topic.The book is academic without being heavy going and I have really enjoyed reading and researching this amazing aspect of Japanese history. I would recommend this book to anyone who not only is interested in Japan and it's history but to those who love folklore and all the tales that come with it.

This is currently one of the best available references on the Yokai, here discussed and compiled in a way that is both scholarly and still a fascinating read that rarely feels dry to investigate.

Bought for my son who likes it but wanted more pictures.

prompt delivery - quite an academic work but my 12-year old totally interested all the same