Yokai of the Week Xmas Edition – Mokumoku Ren

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Should you ever find yourself in Japan and come across an abandoned home in the countryside, beware of mokumoku ren. Literally meaning "continuous eyes," mokumoku ren are disembodied eyes that inhabit dilapidated screen doors. They are generally harmless, but some legends say that you'll go blind if you look at them. One possible way to get rid of them is to patch up the screen, but then you'd run the risk of them blinking your fingers off.

Yokai of the Week Halloween Edition - Tengu

After a long break, the Yokai of the Week is back for a special occasion—Halloween!

Tengu are demons that live in mountain and forest regions. Their name derives from the Chinese Tiangou, a dog-like demon, but the Japanese version instead bears both human and avian features. But perhaps the most prominent features of tengu are their red faces and long noses.

They were long ago associated with war, and were often seen as harbingers of war. But as time went on, their image has softened and they are now associated with the practice of Shugendo, wherein individuals seek enlightenment through an understanding of their relationship with nature. They can still be menacing as they are protective of the nature around them, but they have also been known to take in human disciples and train them in mystical martial arts.

Yokai Masterpiece #8 - Tengu - Pumpkin & Zucchini

I didn't like having to use additional materials to make the nose, but at least I kept it in the squash family. It also didn't help that the pumpkin was totally lopsided (I didn't pick it) so I had to cut out the top and made that the bottom.

Yokai of the Week - Hiatus

Due to unforeseeable circumstances, yokai of the week is currently on vacation. Hopefully it'll be up and running again in the next week or two.

Yokai of the Week - Betobeto-san

There's not much to see with Betobeto-san because, well, there's nothing to see, only hear. Betobeto-san is an invisible yokai that follows people at night, making the sound of footsteps.

As this is the case, I couldn't do a visual representation of Betobeto-san, but I have something better. For the best effect, turn up the volume on your computer speakers, then click on the play button and slowly walk away from your computer. That should offer a fairly accurate representation of Betobeto-san. Should something actually appear behind you though, don't hold me liable—that is not Betobeto-san.

Yokai of the Week - Tsuchikorobi

Tsuchikorobi is one of the dirtiest yokai of all—because it's made of dirt! Tsuchikorobi is a yokai made of dirt that tumbles around and rolls over travelers. Its name literally means "rolling soil."

Yokai Masterpiece #7 - Tsuchikorobi - LEGOs.

It usually looks more like a ball of hair, which is pretty gross. Plus it doesn't have a face, but mine does.

Yokai of the Week - Bakezori

Bakezori are another type of tsukumogami. When zori (thonged Japanese sandals) are neglected or mistreated, they can come to life and run around the house chanting "kararin, kororin, kankororin! (Eyes three, eyes three, and teeth two!)" This could be a reference to geta, another type of thonged, wooden sandal. The three eyes could represent the three holes drilled for the straps, and the two teeth could stand for the the two wooden blocks that make up the platform for the shoe.

Here's a picture of a real bakezori that got loose in the house.

Yokai Masterpiece #6 - Bakezori - thong sandal, mixed materials.

Bakezori usually have one eye, but this one has two eyes because I'm tired of seeing so many one-eyed obake. Plus it looks cuter with two eyes.

Yokai of the Week - Masterpiece Series

I thought I'd take the time this week to introduce three more pieces from the Yokai Masterpiece Series. Two feature yokai from my previous list, with another recent yokai.

Yokai Masterpiece #2 - Karakasa - colored construction paper mounted on foam board.

Yokai Masterpiece #3 - Umibozu - colored construction paper mounted on foam board.

Yokai Masterpiece #5 - Amikiri - colored construction paper mounted on foam board.

I'm considering auctioning or raffling these off if there's any interest. I'm sure any of these pieces would look lovely in someone's bathroom.

For a comparison of the original artwork to the masterpiece version, scroll to the bottom of the post.

So no new yokai this week, but there will be a new yokai of the week next week.

Yokai of the Week - Amikiri

Amikiri is a chimera of sorts, sharing the physical traits of various creatures: it has a serpentine body, a lobster's exoskeleton and claws, and the bill of a bird. And above all, it can fly! When no one is around, amikiri cuts up mosquito nets and other nets hung out to dry. Perhaps it's a distant relative of kamikiri?

Yokai Masterpiece #4 - Amikiri - colored chalk on poured concrete.

Officially, this is masterpiece #4, as I have two other unrevealed pieces from my original yokai series. Unfortunately this masterpiece is impermanent.

Yokai of the Week - Sagari

Occasionally horses die beneath trees, and when they do their spirit has a chance to became a sagari. For some strange reason, only the head is left to haunt the tree, which hangs from the branches with either its tendril-like mane, a prehensile neck-tail, or my favorite, a forearm and fist. If chanced upon, they mostly whinny terrifyingly into the night, but a few unfortunate people may experience sickness.

Yokai of the Week - Wanyudo

Since you voted on it, I'll continue blogging about yokai, at least for the next ten weeks. I plan on doing things a little differently with these, art-wise, so here's the first of my Yokai masterpiece series*.
___

Wanyudo is one of the older yokai, with a reported sighting over a thousand years ago. It has the appearance of an angry, bald man's head in the center of a flaming wheel. His arrival usually spells disaster, as he will roll over anyone who gets in his way, ripping them to pieces. Even to look upon wanyudo brings misfortune.

Yokai Masterpiece #1 - Wanyudo - colored construction paper mounted on foam board.

*"Masterpiece" is a relative term, and only applies to the artwork, not the article.

More Top Ten Yokai

Since it looks as though you want more yokai, here are ten more of my favorite yokai.

1. tsuchikorobi
2. mokumoku ren
3. ashiarai yashiki
4. amikiri
5. kuchisake onna
6. bakezori
7. ippon-datara
8. betobeto-san
9. sagari
10. wanyudo

Yokai of the Week - Kappa

Out of all the hundreds and hundreds of yokai, kappa are probably the most well known. They resemble bipedal turtle men (like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and live in and around water. They have an appetite for the shirikodama located in colons, which they get by plunging their fist through the rear end of any unfortunate animal or person. They have a water-filled dish on top of their head from which they derive their strength. Kappa, although capable of great violence, are polite creatures (in fact most yokai are), so one way of outsmarting them is by bowing deeply and respectfully, whereby they will have to return the gesture and the water will pour out of their dish, leaving them weak. They also have a penchant for cucumbers.

Yokai of the Week Special Edition – Yokai Book of the Week

Another book you say? And about yokai no less? Well, this book is special to me, since I worked on it. While working at company B, there was one title I really looked forward to working on, and it wasn't the one where the half-vampire, half-werewolf guy turns into a girl during a full moon (Suck on that Twihards). No, it was a manga called Kon Kon Kokon, and it is about a young boy who is a yokai otaku.

The book features an original story and cutesy artwork by Koge-Donbo. And it also features yokai, oodles and oodles of yokai. In fact, many of the yokai I've highlighted can be found in Kon Kon Kokon.

The story follows Ren, a young boy from the boonies, who transfers to a school in the city. It is there that he hopes to reinvent himself as one of the cool kids and impress his crush, Himeka. But Ren hides a dark secret—well, maybe not so dark—he loves yokai. As luck would have it, along comes Kokon, a mysterious young girl who claims that she has returned to Ren to make good on her promise. But what is that promise? Go find a copy of the book and check it out.

But be forewarned: the book is out of print, and there is only the one volume available. Sadly the powers that be shut down company B, and Koge-Donbo has been busy with other projects. I hope she returns to the series at some point. since I would like to read more about Ren and his yokai adventures. If anyone is interested in reading Kon Kon Kokon, I snagged several copies before company B closed. And if you're lucky, I just might autograph it for you.

Kon Kon Kokon
Koge-Donbo
Broccoli Books: 224pp., $10
Out of print

こんこんここん
こげどんぼ
Comi Digi + Comics: 196pp., ¥590

Yokai of the Week - Futakuchi Onna

Futakuchi onna (literally "two-mouthed woman") starts out as a normal woman who is cursed with a second fully-functional mouth on the back of her head, hidden beneath her hair. In some cases, the hair can act as tendrils drawing food into the second mouth. Through this second mouth, a futakuchi onna can eat as much as she desires without gaining weight, but the second mouth can also take on a life of its own, becoming more and more desirous of larger quantities of food. Furthermore, the second mouth, when not being fed, may start screeching which is not only painful to the woman's ears, but also draws unwanted attention.

Yokai of the Week Special Edition – Yokai Book of the Week

Something quite remarkable happened this morning: I actually finished a book—not a serious book, like Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind or Leo Tolsoy’s War and Peace, as that would be some sort of miracle—but a book nonetheless.

Sister C recently went up to San Francisco to visit brother G, and she bought me this wonderful book about yokai titled Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide. It is written by a husband and wife duo by the names of Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda, and published by Kodansha International. The book contains illustrations by manga artist Tatsuya Morino accompanied by detailed descriptions of more than 40 different yokai, including a few of my favorites.

The book isn’t a definitive resource for yokai information, nor does it purport itself to be. What it is, though, is a well researched overview of some of the most popular yokai in Japan today. The authors draw from a number of famous yokai resources, including several of 18th century artist/satirist Sekien Toriyama’s researched works, the writings of Lafcadio Hearn, and other centuries-old firsthand accounts. The book offers physical descriptions of each yokai in addition to their powers (if they have any), habitats, weaknesses, and history.

Aside from being informative, Yokai Attack! is meant to be practical as well, offering various ways to survive encounters with each of the yokai listed in the book. For instance, should you run into a kappa, you can bow deeply forcing the kappa to return the favor thereby draining the water, and strength, from its head-dish. Or you can toss it a cucumber, granted you have one, as they love cucumbers. This information alone makes the book invaluable, should you ever take a trip to Japan.

I highly recommend Yokai Attack! to yokai fans new and old. It is rare enough to find books on yokai in English, and Yokai Attack! offers a very solid overview of yokai and makes a great introduction to yokai and Japanese culture.

Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide
Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt
Illustrations by Tatsuya Morino
Kodansha International: 192pp., $15

Yokai of the Week - Waira

Waira are yokai that live up in the mountains and resemble cows with claws instead of normal front legs. They use their claws to dig up small creatures (like rodents) which they eat. The males are usually dirt-colored, and the females are reddish. Waira were originally thought to resemble large frogs.

Yokai of the Week - Nekomata

When a cat reaches an advanced age, it can become a bakeneko ("monster cat"). If a bakeneko's tail splits in two, it becomes a nekomata with more supernatural abilities. With its newfound powers, a nekomata can reanimate the dead and manipulate them like puppets. Nekomata can sometimes stand on their hind legs as well as dance. As a precaution, some families cut the tails off of their cats resulting in some breeds of Asian cats with shortened or non-existent tails.

Yokai of the Week - Rokurokubi

During the daytime, rokurokubi resemble normal human beings, usually women, but at night their necks can stretch to incredible lengths. Some rokurokubi even maintain normal lives, complete with spouses, keeping their secret hidden. According to some traditions, rokurokubi are cursed humans that, along with their stretching necks, must feed off of human blood to sustain themselves.

Yokai of the Week - Kamikiri

Kamikiri are spirits that sneak up on people and cut off their hair (kamikiri literally translates to "hair-cut"). They are depicted as having scissor-like claws and a bird-like beak which they use to snip the hair of their victim. They tend to target people while they are in the bathroom. They are the barbers of the yokai world.

Yokai of the Week - Kamaitachi

“Kamaitachi” literally translates to “sickle weasel.” According to Japanese folklore, kamaitachi are a set of three bloodthirsty weasel spirits. They appear as a gust of wind that knocks people down, but when the people get up they discover they have been cut by one of the kamaitachi. In some depictions, the first one knocks the person down, the second cuts them with a sickle, and the last one patches him up.