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soythesauce's review against another edition
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Very well researched and a great read. Provides a lot of background, historical, and cultural information. A must read for anyone interested in Japanese folklore, anime, and manga.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
galeofbees's review against another edition
5.0
Spurred my love of Japanese culture and folklore. It's really cool to study Yokai influences in things from Ghibli to Pokemon after learning so much from this book.
timgrubbs's review against another edition
5.0
A cultural examination Yokai and their role in Japanese society…
The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore by Michael Foster is a fairly dry and academic look at Yokai and other Japanese myth, treating it as a serious subject of study.
Rather than being a bestiary or catalog of critters (though it does have that), this book takes a look at the history, linguistics, and creation of Yokai as a concept.
If you are looking for something colorful or outlandish then this isn’t the book for you, but if you want a book that takes the subject seriously and provides significant information on it (along with a massive bibliography) then this is worth checking out.
In addition to reviewing the origins and environment of various Yokai, the book also covers the hero’s that are so often does of the Yokai and related creatures. A sizable index is also part of the book to easily reference specific yokai or other subjects. A handful of tradition Japanese yokai art is also peppered throughout the book, but the primary value of this tome is the analysis.
The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore by Michael Foster is a fairly dry and academic look at Yokai and other Japanese myth, treating it as a serious subject of study.
Rather than being a bestiary or catalog of critters (though it does have that), this book takes a look at the history, linguistics, and creation of Yokai as a concept.
If you are looking for something colorful or outlandish then this isn’t the book for you, but if you want a book that takes the subject seriously and provides significant information on it (along with a massive bibliography) then this is worth checking out.
In addition to reviewing the origins and environment of various Yokai, the book also covers the hero’s that are so often does of the Yokai and related creatures. A sizable index is also part of the book to easily reference specific yokai or other subjects. A handful of tradition Japanese yokai art is also peppered throughout the book, but the primary value of this tome is the analysis.
abookishpenguin's review against another edition
3.5
The Book of Yokai explores the history and cultural context of a select group of Yokai. The development of the Yokai and their persistence in popular culture today is covered, alongside some of the myths that surround these mysterious creatures.
This was an interesting look at some of the creatures popular in Japanese mythology. Of the ones I had heard of, my exposure was through Studio Ghibli films like Pom Poko and other anime/manga. There were some recognisable creatures, like Tanuki, Kappa and Kitsune, but even more that I did not know of - a personal favourite being Tofu Boy who just sounds great!
What I found really interesting and surprising was that new Yokai are still springing up as recently as the last century, developed sometimes as advertising symbols then passing into the folklore of Japan.
I found the first half of this book quite dry. The author started by describing their research techniques - primarily taking oral accounts, but there was a lot of documentary evidence going back hundreds of years. They then talked about Yokai of different types and the places they occupy, and how to categorise them.
I was hoping for a bigger focus on the stories from folklore featuring the creatures. There were some included in the second half of the book, which was essentially a bestiary, but they were shortened in favour of including more of people's accounts of the Yokai and their documented history.
I also think I suffered a bit in this by not picking up a physical book. I imagine seeing illustrations would have really brought this to life.
Overall I enjoyed this book, and while it wasn't quite what I was looking for, it's definitely encouraged me to seek out more Japanese folklore and introduced me to some creatures I had never heard of.
This was an interesting look at some of the creatures popular in Japanese mythology. Of the ones I had heard of, my exposure was through Studio Ghibli films like Pom Poko and other anime/manga. There were some recognisable creatures, like Tanuki, Kappa and Kitsune, but even more that I did not know of - a personal favourite being Tofu Boy who just sounds great!
What I found really interesting and surprising was that new Yokai are still springing up as recently as the last century, developed sometimes as advertising symbols then passing into the folklore of Japan.
I found the first half of this book quite dry. The author started by describing their research techniques - primarily taking oral accounts, but there was a lot of documentary evidence going back hundreds of years. They then talked about Yokai of different types and the places they occupy, and how to categorise them.
I was hoping for a bigger focus on the stories from folklore featuring the creatures. There were some included in the second half of the book, which was essentially a bestiary, but they were shortened in favour of including more of people's accounts of the Yokai and their documented history.
I also think I suffered a bit in this by not picking up a physical book. I imagine seeing illustrations would have really brought this to life.
Overall I enjoyed this book, and while it wasn't quite what I was looking for, it's definitely encouraged me to seek out more Japanese folklore and introduced me to some creatures I had never heard of.
eliz_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0