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yōkai

File:Kyosai,_Yokai_image.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ503186· pop 45· linked from 1,282 articles

Also known as yokai, yôkai, ayakashi, mononoke, mamono, youkai, yookai

thumb|A print by Kawanabe Kyōsai

Wikidata facts

Subclass of
obake
Country
Japan
Image
Yoshitoshi The Heavy Basket.jpg
Show 6 more facts
topic's main category
Category:Yōkai
Commons category
Yōkai
native label
妖怪
worshipped by
Japanese mythology
described by source
Gujin Tushu Jicheng
Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~21 min read

Encyclopedic overview

18 sections
Contents
  • Concept
  • Types
  • History
  • Ancient history
  • Post-classical history
  • Modern history
  • Edo period
  • Meiji and Taishō periods
  • Shōwa period
  • Comparison with yaoguai
  • In popular culture
  • See also
  • References
  • Notes
  • Citations
  • Works cited
  • Further reading
  • External links

thumb|A print by Kawanabe Kyōsai

are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. Yōkai are a vast range of beings, including shapeshifters, ghosts, demons, and tricksters. They can be mischievous, helpful, or malevolent, often appearing as animal-like figures, possessed objects, or humanoids. They embody the mysterious and uncanny aspects of nature and human emotions.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “yōkai” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (20)