AltJapan

Face Off

Britain's always-reliable Daily Mail has reported sightings of strange humanoids without faces appearing the in crowd at Wimbledon, at Elton John's white tie ball, and even the Harrods summer sale. But readers of Yokai Attack know better. They aren't aliens or mutants. They're YOKAI! "Nopperabo," to be precise:

The Nopperabo, whose name evokes the feel of something smooth and featureless in Japanese, resemble normally dressed, apparently healthy individuals, save for one major difference: a face "like unto an egg," devoid of any hint of features. Worried? You shouldn't be. Encounters with "the Faceless Ones" are rarely if ever fatal.

Believe it or not, this isn't the first time the Nopperabo have been spotted outside of their homeland. In 1959, it is said, a faceless "mujina" appeared in the restroom of Hawaiian drive-in movie theater, scaring the hell out of at least one woman who saw her. (Although "mujina" actually refers to a species of badger, a Lafcadio Hearn story of the same name has caused imagery of the mujina and the Nopperabo to become intermingled both in Japan and abroad.) Even yokai need a vacation from time to time, it seems!

(Thanks to Ed at Pink Tentacle for the heads-up!)

The Tengu Has Landed

Here's what the critics are saying about our new book, Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide:

"An invaluable resource for anyone interested in J-Horror and  Japanese culture; gave me a deeper understanding of what I've been enjoying for so many years." 

Don Coscarelli, director, Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep

"Funny, scary and informative, Yokai Attack is a must-have, must-read for anyone interested in Asian culture and MONSTERS. What a combo!”

Steve Niles, co-creator, 30 Days of Night

It's an English language guide to the creatures that go bump in Japan's night, and it has officially arrived in Japanese bookstores. Like this Kinokuniya in Shinjuku:

(You know you've "made it" as a writer about Japan when your book is on the same shelf as Speed Tribes and Sex and the Japanese.)

It's of course up on Amazon.jp as well. Those of you in North America and Europe are going to have to sit tight a little longer until Kodansha International releases it in bookstores there this fall (sorry!) If you live outside of Japan and absolutely must have it earlier -- and who could blame you? -- drop your local Japanese import bookstore a line with the ISBN, which is 9784770030702.

Based on a True Story

They're here. They're weird. Get used to it. They're the YOKAI! That's right: Hiroko and I have had a little secret brewing for the last year or so:

Meet our newest book: Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide! Published by the fine folks at Kodansha International, it's what we believe is the world's first English-language guidebook to surviving potential encounters with monsters of Japanese myth and legend. For generations they were believed to have stalked Japan's mountains, forests, fields, coastlines, and towns. And who's to say they still aren't around? Written and created by Hiroko and I, illustrated by the talented manga-ka Tatsuya Morino, it's the last guide to Japan you'll ever need.

The book is organized by yokai, letting you take in important characteristics like pronunciation, size, locomotion, prevalence, danger level, and habitat at a glance. But don't let the "datafile" format fool you: this sucker is dense. Every entry also contains abundant info about each creature's historical/cultural background and modus operandi -- handy for surviving potential close encounters. It isn't "fiction," isn't anime or manga -- it's a collection of anecdotes and conventional wisdom about the creatures, giving you a leg up on the many references to yokai that appear in Japanese literature, film, anime, slang, and even cuisine (another serving of Kappa Maki, my friends?)

It's 196 pages covering almost fifty hand-picked favorites. It's coming out in America and Europe this fall, but it's going on sale this JUNE in Japanese bookstores!