# The Book of Yokai, Expanded Second Edition: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore - Hardcover

by **Michael Dylan Foster** (Author), **Shinonome Kijin** (Illustrator)

**Significantly expanded and updated--a lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its increasing influence within global popular culture.**

Monsters, spirits, fantastic beings, and supernatural creatures haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled _yōkai,_ they appear in many forms, from _tengu_ mountain goblins and _kappa_ water sprites, to shape-shifting _kitsune_ foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Popular today in anime, manga, film, and video games, many yōkai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories. _The Book of Yōkai_ invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them.

Revised and expanded, this second edition features fifty new illustrations, including an all-new yōkai gallery of stunning color images tracing the visual history of yōkai across centuries. In clear and accessible language, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the cultural and historical contexts of yōkai, interpreting their varied meanings and introducing people who have pursued them through the ages.

### Back Jacket

**Praise for the First Edition of _The Book of Yōkai_:**

"Foster creates engagingly rich portraits of _yōkai._ . . . Kijin's illustrations draw on Japanese artistic traditions to depict each creature's personality and visual quirks, making this field guide a delight for researchers, enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike. . . . Seen this way, even the most horrific _yōkai_ seems beautiful."―_Times Literary Supplement_

"Foster . . . analyses and catalogues hundreds of _yōkai_ and tells many stories . . . enhanced by witty illustrations by Shinonome Kijin. . . . A fascinating and charming compendium."―_Literary Review_

"An interesting cultural text highly recommended to Japanophiles or aficionados of the otherworldly."―_Foreword Reviews_

"Highly recommend. . . . A fascinating read."―_Reference Reviews_

"Michael Dylan Foster draws the reader into a haunting tale of the uncanny from the first page."―_Journal of Religion in Japan_

"_The Book of Yōkai_ is a fascinating and enormously informative study. . . . Foster's narrative is smooth and often humorous. The book is easy to read, and at the same time immensely informative on the complicated and varied ways _yōkai_ have existed throughout Japanese history."―_Western Folklore_

"Readers will be fascinated (as well as teased) by the kaleidoscope of creatures, malignant and benign."―_International Institute for Asian Studies_

### Author Biography

**Michael Dylan Foster** is Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Davis. He is author of many works on Japanese folklore, including _Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai_.  

**Number of Pages:** 480

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 9.1 x 6.2 IN

**Publication Date:** October 22, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 45.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 45.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Book of Yokai, Expanded Second Edition: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore - Hardcover

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