Where the Yokai Are

 

When Hiroko and I were writing Yokai Attack, we frequently referred to the International Research Center for Japanese Studies' "Strange Phenomenon and Yokai Legend Database." It's a great resource, but completely text-based. Yesterday, however, they announced the official kick-off of a "Strange Phenomenon and Yokai Legend Image Database"! 

This is big news for yokai lovers. Loaded with close to 2,000 images taken from scrolls, woodblock prints, and other vintage yokai material, this represents the first time so many yokai illustrations have been collected online in one place. Go ahead and give it a try! Kappa! Tengu! Tsukumo-gami! Tesso! A spectacular Nue by Yoshitoshi, who influenced Frank Miller! Even offbeat characters like good ol' Tofu Kozo! The only catch: you need to know at least the hiragana reading of a yokai's name to pull it off. It doesn't accept English-language searches.

Illustrations like this aren't just fun to look at. They are the direct ancestors of manga and anime, the roots of Japan's beloved mascot and kawaii character culture. Believe me, there is a lot of buried treasure slumbering in there. Take the umi-bozu (pictured above) -- sporting a hat made from a "kurobune" (American warship), this is actually a political cartoon of sorts. What else is in there? I don't know... But I'm looking forward to finding out!

Comments

[Leonardo Boiko]

I’m a Linux sysadmin and I name all my computers for yōkai. You just gave me the perfect source of wallpapers.

[Junti]

Wow. Thank you.
This is awesome.
I'm in the process of writing my Bachelor Thesis about Yôkai :).
This comes really handy for the appendix.
THANKS <3.

[MattAlt]

I'll try to post a list of search terms, for those who don't speak Japanese, soon.

[M-Bone]

Many thanks for the link!

Here's one for Naruto fans -

http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiGazouCard/U426_nichibunken_0087_0001_0000.html

[The CronoLink]

Or Pokemon fans. =P

[M-Bone]

Where young Pokemon come from.

(WARNING - probably not safe for work or polite company)
http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiGazouCard/U426_nichibunken_0058_0006_0000.html

[MattAlt]

FURRIES!!!

[M-Bone]

The expressions on their faces are off the hook.

Just realized that I should have written "Hot Yokai on Yokai Action" (although I don't think that chikushodo stuff technically count as Yokai....)

This next one I'm calling "That's Gotta Hurt" (NSFW)

http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiGazouCard/U426_nichibunken_0058_0010_0000.html

Finally, "I can't think of a caption for a picture of an oni with a giant vagina for a head eating people" (NSFW, duh)

http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiGazouCard/U426_nichibunken_0058_0009_0000.html