Yōkai is an integral part of Japanese society and folklore. Yōkai are a folklore culture within Japan dating back to the 8th century and evolving over the course of several decades. Early Yōkai were more religiously aligned, but this changed during the Edo era of Japan beginning in the 17th century with the demystification of Yōkai into the more modern form they take today. The printing press would further push Yōkai folklore into the larger culture at large with the ability for more people to read Yōkai stories. The Imperial Japanese era of Japan would see Yōkai's popularity wane within the country as old traditions were pushed to the fringes in favor of militarization and westernization. World War II ending would see another massive shift of culture within Japan, one that would see Japanese citizens looking back at old traditions with nostalgia.

 The Yōkai Boom of the 1960s and 1980s now have cemented Yōkai into the greater national consciousness at large. Yōkai is in books, manga, anime, movies, and the general popular culture of the nation. Shigeru Mizuki is the creator of the original Yōkai Boom in the 1960s and his experiences in World War II would ultimately shape modern Yōkai and the stories he crafted. Studio Ghibli would be a big factor during the second Yōkai Boom of the 1980s that continues to this day. In the last several year popular anime and manga such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Hunter x Hunter and Naruto. Games like Yo-Kai Watch, Pokemon, and Monster Hunter all integrated Yōkai culture seamlessly. Movies like Ringu, and Ju-On: The Grudge would ingrain Japanese cinema with more Yōkai influence.

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Japanese Art is very spiritual and supernatural by definition, and the increased popularity and malleability of Yōkai will continue to keep Yōkai in the mainstream. 

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Overall, the Yōkai Boom was a part of a massive upheaval of Japanese culture. Yōkai saw itself ingrained into the greater popular culture of Japanese Society. Changing from largely physical and verbal folklore to more of a fictional entity with verbal and material traditions. Yōkai folklore is here to stay and only getting more popular as the Yōkai Boom continues.