Yokai

http://yokai.com/


Yōkai, 妖怪, are strange, supernatural creatures and phenomena from Japanese folklore. The word is a combination of the characters 妖 (yō–attractive, bewitching, calamity) and 怪 (kai–mystery, wonder).

Over the years, many different English words have been used as translations. Yōkai can be translated as monster, demon, spirit, or goblin, but it encompasses all of that and more. The world of yōkai also includes ghosts, gods, transformed humans and animals, spirit possession, urban legends, and other strange phenomena. It is a broad and vague term, and nothing exists in the English language that quite describes it. Yōkai is one of those words–like samurai, geisha, ninja, and sushi–that is best left in its native tongue.

One of the most difficult things to define are the boundaries of what constitutes a yōkai, and what isn’t a yōkai. Even in Japanese, the term is difficult to pin down. Over the many eras of Japan’s history, different words have been used as catch-all terms for the supernatural forces of this world; bakemono, obake, mononoke, kaii, oni. Depending on who you’re talking to, specific creatures may or may not be classified as yokai. Are ghosts yōkai? Are oni yōkai? Can good spirits be yōkai or are they only evil spirits? Are kami yōkai? Does yōkai only apply to Japan, or does it apply to all countries? Every rule has an exception, and every answer has a contradiction.

The broadest possible definition of yōkai includes all supernatural creatures and phenomena from all parts of the world. Essentially, everything supernatural everywhere. I prefer to use a broad brush when defining yōkai, but not that broad. In my books and on this site, yōkai refers to all supernatural creatures and phenomena which are found in Japanese folklore. My definition is limited specifically to Japanese folklore for two reasons: because yōkai is a Japanese word, and because there already is an English word which describes everything supernatural from everywhere–supernatural. But aside from restricting the definition to Japanese folklore, I prefer to define yōkai with as broad a brush as possible.