History and Types of Yōkai
Yōkai are spiritual creatures that inhibit much of Japanese folklore. Yōkai stories are similar to Urban Legends. Yōkai are celebrated and interwoven into society in a similar way that urban legends are in America, but even more pronounced (Sims, Smith, 114). Yōkai historically was a verbal, material, and even customary folklore. As time went on the folklore became largely material and verbal. Yōkai is largely esoteric.
The stories are entertaining, and are used for explanations of the unexplained. Yōkai is meant to be celebrated at temples or urban sites considered supernatural. Individuals dress up as Yōkai for Halloween, or parades. Though if an individual runs into a Yōkai it is said that the individual should not make eye contact and ignore them or risk being cursed.
Yōkai first began to appear in Japanese folklore in the 8th century in the form of folktales or literature.
Yōkai became popular during the Edo period of Japan (1603 to 1867), however despite the rise in popularity Yōkai began to become demystified, and the religious aspects of Yōkai disappeared. Yōkai began to be categorized into different groups. When the printing press was invented and literature became widespread, and so did the legend of Yōkai.
The Imperial Japanese era of Japan saw a decline in Yōkai literature and national consciousness. World War II ended and the Imperial era was gone, bringing about a nostalgia for the old ways of Japan, and as a result, Yōkai would return. Shigeru Mizuki is credited with the resurgence of Yōkai in Japanese Society with his manga Gegege no Kitaro (Shamoon, 280).
The legends are also meant to instill fear and horror in the reader. Yokai are a bit of an enigma, and cannot be categorized in a simple way. There are some archetypes in Yokai that help with classification. On this following page, I will be showing the general types of Yokai shown in folklore.
Kappa
Kappa is a green river demon or imp. They are usually somewhat human-like with webbed hands, and feet. A turtle shell carapace on their back, and a depression on their head shaped like a disk. Kappa are typically evil, but at times can be more passive to those that come across them. Kappa enjoys sumo wrestling and cucumbers. Kappa are often held responsible for drownings, and assaults in water (Meyer "Yōkai").
Obake
Obake is a subgroup of Yōkai that literally is translated to a thing that changes. Obake are shapeshifters. Oftentimes they are supernatural beings or living things that have had undergone a temporary transformation. The true form of an Obake is often an animal like a fox, raccoon dog, badger, or cat. Their original form can even be a plant, or an inanimate object, which may possess a soul (Meyer "Yōkai").
Tsukumogami
Tsukumogami are known as formerly inanimate objects, who became self-aware or animate on their 100th birthday. Items such as umbrellas, futons, utensils, sandals become Tsukumogami. Tusukumogami are ghostlike and have the ability to shapeshift into humans (Meyer "Yōkai").
Tengu
Tengu are legendary beings in Japanese folklore. They are usually shown in the form of birds of prey, monkey deity. In general, they take the form of a human. The defining feature is the long red nose of the Tengu. Early on the Tengu were considered a harbinger of war and demonlike, but as time has moved on the depictions of Tengu have turned more docile (Meyer "Yōkai").
Yūrei
Yūrei are a type of ghost in Japanese folklore. Yūrei are spirits that have had their departure to the afterlife ruined. The type of Yūrei that appears is dependent on the circumstance of death. They will retain the clothing and features that they wore when they passed away. Yūrei often looks faint and very translucent. Yūrei are considered to be able to inflict extremely powerful curses, but they do not roam around inflicting many. Yūrei tends to haunt a single individual at a time and is often found in the place where they died (Meyer "Yōkai").
Yamauba
Yamauba is a category of Yōkai within Japanese folklore. Yamauba looks like an old woman with an unkempt appearance. Often given hideous features; including a mouth on the top of their head. Yamauba pretends to be a kind old woman to lure people into their traps and does horrible things to them. Yamauba is a popular type of Yōkai within fiction. Yamauba is usually located deep in the mountains of Japan (Meyer "Yōkai").