The Book of Yokai takes a deep look into these creatures from Japanese folklore. Many of them have been discussed within stories, passed down for hundreds of years and are a large part of Japanese culture, as it exists in modern times. For me, the single best part of this book was the original illustrations by Kijin Shinonome. They provided this book with some much-needed vibrancy which kept it from feeling stale. The illustrations are eye-catching, and I had to stop and stare at them several times, which made reading frequently slow-going. The information provided here is extremely thorough, and everything I know about the subject was included, plus several hundred pages with even more information. Foster’s writing style makes the Yokai come alive before your eyes.
When I first picked this book up, I expected an encyclopaedia-like tome that would give me bare-bones information about various Yokai. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this has so much more in its pages. The first half of The Book of Yokai focuses on the culture that these creatures were born into and the history behind them. It discusses the meaning behind them as a whole, and several chapters take a hard look at the stories about them, similarities between them and language used to describe them. For anyone who wants to look at the cultural significance of Yokai, rather than a mere listing of individual creatures, this half of the book is for you.
The second half of the book is closer to what I expected. It goes through many types of Yokai and provides any and all details possible, from appearance, to history, to superstitions about them. I would have preferred if it were organized more like an encyclopaedia to make it easier to search for specific creatures I am interested in, but I quickly grew used to the book’s organization scheme. Instead of simple alphabetical order, creatures are divided into the areas that they are found in (for example, the home) and listed alphabetically that way. Although not what I was expecting, it does make sense and was not hard to wrap my head around. There is a fully alphabetized list of Yokai in the back of the book, so if you wanted a specific one, it would only take moments to find the exact page.
Michael Dylan Foster is an authority on the subject of Yokai. His master’s thesis was written on the kappa, and he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Yokai. This is not his first book on the subject, and he continues to research the folklore today. A thorough bibliography is included towards the back of the book, so please fact-check everything of interest to you.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mythical creatures specifically or Asian studies in general. These creatures have become such an integral part of the culture, and this book does a superb job of integrating their historical significance with descriptions of the creatures themselves. It is a fascinating read and an important research tool for anyone wishing to delve further into a study of Yokai. This will be on my personal bookshelf for years to come.
