Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan

Vivid in Japanese art and imagination are creatures that are at once ghastly and comical. Yōkai is a catchall word that generally refers to demons, ghosts, shapeshifters, and “strange” and supernatural beings. Yōkai are prevalent in Japanese popular and expressive culture; you find them in manga (comics), anime (animation), and character-based games such as Pokémon (“pocket monster”).

Special exhibition highlights include: narrative arts such as Edo period scroll paintings and woodblock prints; contemporary folk art that depicts yōkai and illustrates their eerie tales; ghost and demon characters from classical noh and kabuki performances; and special festival events. Toys, games, comic books, and anime connect the past to the present, and the classical to the popular in terms of visual arts and culture. In addition to participatory gallery crafts, the exhibition includes an immersive, family-friendly obake yashiki (a Japanese “monster house”), a popular form of entertainment in Japanese amusement parks.