The concept of yōkai, their causes and phenomena related to them varies greatly throughout Japanese culture and historical periods; typically, the older the time period, the higher the … See more

The folklorist Tsutomu Ema studied the literature and paintings depicting yōkai and henge (変化, lit. 'changed things/mutants'), dividing them into categories as presented in the Nihon Yōkai Henge Shi and the Obake no Rekishi:
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Both the Chinese yaoguai and Japanese yokai include strange, supernatural beings with shapeshifting tendencies. In the Chinese version of the yaoguai, the emphasis is often on the first character 妖 yao, which connotes bewilderment and enchantment and … See more

• Ballaster, Ros (2005). Fables of the East. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926735-9.
• Fujimoto, … See more

Ancient history
• 772 CE: in the Shoku Nihongi, there is the statement "Shinto purification is performed because yōkai appear very often in the imperial … See more

Yōkai are often referred to as Japanese spirits or East Asian ghosts, like the Hanako-san legend or the story of the "Slit-mouthed girl", … See more

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Japanese supernatural beings
• Kappa - a type of yōkai
• Oni - a type of yōkai
• Tengu - a type of yōkai
• Yōsei – Spiritlike creature from Japanese folklore, distinct from … See more