The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai: Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and other Mythical Creatures from Japan (with Over 250 Images)

(Paperback)

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"A modern day Lafcadio Hearn is picking up his ghostly torch. Zack Davisson is the author, translator, and folklorist following in Hearn's footsteps." tofugu.com

Mysterious demons, ghosts and monsters have haunted Japan for centuries! The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai presents 100 of the strangest creatures you have ever seenfrom evil demons and terrifying monsters to mythical ghosts and enchanted beasts.

In this book, Yokai expert Zack Davisson explains how Yokai are highly elusive, and yet without understanding them you will never truly know Japan. The Yokai profiled in this book include:

• Amabie: A mysterious half fish, half bird creature said to heal any affliction merely by gazing upon its image
• Tofu Kozo: A harmless Yokai that appears like a young child dressed in a fancy kimono with a straw hat carrying a plate of wobbly tofu
• Kyokotsu: The pitiful spirit of a person who was thrown down a well and diedwith pale skin and a shock of white hair growing from a bleached-white skull
• Akaname: A disgusting Yokai who skitters about licking the scum from filthy bathtubs
• Kanibozu: Massive crabs, who shapeshift into human form, disguising themselves as monks asking riddles, but killing anyone who fails to answer correctly!
• And many more!

Packed with interesting facts and entertaining stories, this book is richly illustrated with over 250 color woodblock prints and paintings that reveal the fascinating world of the Yokai.

Author Bio

Zack Davisson is an award-winning writer and the author of many bestselling books, including Yurei: The Japanese Ghost, Yokai Stories and Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan. He has translated Japanese bestsellers including Leiji Matsumoto's Space Battleship Yamato, Go Nagai's Devilman, and Shigeru Mizuki's Kitaro. He lectures on translation, manga and folklore at Duke, UCLA and the University of Washington, as well as contributing to major international exhibitions.