Yokai Museum

Book excerpt: Yokai are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. In the Edo period (1603-1868), many artists, such as Hokusai Katsushika or Kuniyoshi Utagawa, created their works of featuring Yokai inspired by folklore or their own ideas. Yokai have attracted the artists and have been a common theme in art works until these days because of their unique forms and their mysterious behaviors.This book is a visual collection of art works of Yokai in Japan since the Edo period. The works are not only paintings but also wood block prints, scrolls, ceramics, kimonos, children’s playthings such as board games, and more. This would be an attractive book for Yokai beginners/maniacs, and would be also a valuable source for designers and illustrators. About the collection: Most of the items that will be featured in the book come from personal collections by Koichi Yumoto, who has the largest Yokai collection in Japan. He comments on the history of Yokai and explains about the items in the book. About the YUMOTO Koichi Collection This is the largest personal collection of Yokai art in Japan. Around 4,000 works which range from the Edo period to the present day. These include painting, woodbock prints, scrolls, ceramics, kimonos, wooden sculptures, magazines, children’s toys, board games, and more. In April 2019, the collection was housed in the new Yokai Museum called Miyoshi Mononoke Museum located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. 日本最大の妖怪コレクション、堂々開陳! 図版総数400超! 絵巻・錦絵・版本から、着物・帯・根付、はたまた器・幻燈ガラス、武具やポスターに至るまで、ユニークな妖怪がてんこ盛り! 江戸時代の火消しの印半纏の裏に染め抜かれた、にやりと笑う不敵な土蜘蛛など、これまで見たことがない妖怪文化の広がりを堪能できる1冊です。