Yokai Attack!. Hiroko Yoda

illustrations, created by the talented Tatsuya Morino, detail the potential appearance of each yokai. In many cases, they’re portrayed in a traditional manner; in others, we decided to have some fun exploring how they might look in more modern settings. Alongside each illustration is a series of “data points,” allowing you to take in key characteristics at a glance. And most importantly, we’ve provided information about how to survive meetings with these strange creatures—handy for any potential close encounters.

      A quick word about what this book is not. It is not intended as an authoritative last word on the origins or purported behavior of these creatures. It is a collection of conventional wisdom (perhaps “uncanny wisdom” would be a better term?) concerning the yokai—the sorts of things the average Japanese individual might know about them. Think of it as a springboard for further exploration on your own, and a leg up to understanding the many references and allusions to yokai that appear in modern Japanese films, literature, and even everyday speech.

      In traditional Japanese “yokai-ology,” the creatures are classified by where they generally appear. Typical habitats include in and around houses (both functional and abandoned), mountains, forests, Buddhist temples, the banks of lakes or rivers, coastal waters, and such. But to make things easier for the first-time reader who isn’t as intimately familiar with these traditional settings, here we group a small selection of the most famous and visually appealing yokai by personality. Ferocious Fiends are the sorts of creatures you wouldn’t want to encounter in a dark alley (or a bright one, for that matter). Gruesome Gourmets are yokai with peculiar eating habits. Annoying Neighbors are the sorts of things you pray never move in next door. The Sexy and Slimy enchant their prey with slithery svelteness or carnal charms. And The Wimps are just what their name implies: monsters who are probably more afraid of you than you are of them.

      So forget Godzilla. Forget the giant beasties karate-chopped into oblivion by endless incarnations of Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Forget the Pocket Monsters. Forget Sadako from The Ring and that creepy all-white kid from The Grudge. Forget everything you know about Japanese tales of terror.

      If you want to survive an encounter with a member of Japan’s most fearsome and fascinating bunch of monsters, you’ve got some reading to do.

      —Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt

      Tokyo

      2012

       Ferocious Fiends

      Make no bones about it: a run-in with one of this fearsome crew will send you to the hospital if you’re lucky . . . and the grave if you’re not.

       Karasu-tengu

       Hanadaka-tengu

       Kappa

       Zashiki Warashi

       Wanyudo

       Neko-mata

       Nue

       Funa-yurei

       Umi-bozu

       O-dokuro

       Tsuchi-gumo

       Konaki Jiji

      Ferocious Fiends: 001

      Karasu-tengu

      Ferocious Fiends: 001

      Karasu-tengu

      烏天狗

      Pronunciation:

      (KAH-rah-soo TEN-goo)

      English Name:

      Raven-tengu

      Gender:

      Male/Female

      Height:

      5 to 6 ft. (150 to 180cm)

      Weight:

      Unknown

      Locomotion:

      Bipedal, flight, teleportation

      Distinctive Features:

      Generally humanoid Bird-like or dog-like face with beak. When clothed, attire is similar to that of a Buddhist monk

      Offensive Weapons:

      Tremendous strength

      Ability to cloud human minds

      Possession of human hosts (according to some tales)

      Claws and shape shifting

      Abundance:

      Prevalent

      Habitat:

      Mountainous regions

      Feathers found near a Karasu-tengu sighting

      Claim to Fame:

      The wings on their backs may be reminiscent of angels, but the similarities end there. Crafty, adroit, and extraordinarily dangerous, these unpredictable tricksters are a constant presence in Japanese myth and folklore. Their portrayal has varied greatly over the centuries since their first recorded appearance in eighth-century Japanese literature, but let us boil those thousand years of history down for you: Tengu equal trouble.

      According to the Tale of the Heike, a twelfth-century chronicle of Japanese military and political intrigue, the Karasu-tengu are “men, but not men; bird, but not bird; dog, but not dog; they possess the hands of a human, the head of a canine, a pair of wings, and are capable of both flight and walking.”

      The Karasu-tengu are, essentially, a metaphor for the travails of becoming a Buddhist monk. In their earliest incarnation, they were portrayed as taking great pleasure in playing tricks, spiriting disciples away to far-flung locations, and taking various forms to tempt holy men and believers from the path of virtue. They were also said to have the ability to possess human hosts, causing madness or inciting political intrigue. Over the years they have been blamed for causing all manner of catastrophe and mayhem, including the spreading of plagues and other natural disasters. That being said, Karasu-tengu are not always viewed as harbingers of death and destruction. They are also famed for their skill with a variety of weapons and are credited with having taught some of Japan’s most renowned swordsmen their skills.

      It is not exactly clear how Karasu-tengu reproduce, but the population includes females as well as males. They are said to hatch from enormous eggs, occasionally found deep in the mountains by wayward travelers.

      The Attack!

      Karasu-tengu are the foot-soldiers and enforcers of the Tengu world. Unlike the related Hanadaka-tengu (p. 22), who generally eschew random violence, the Karasu-tengu instigate