One thing I love about the stories in Shokoku hyakumonogatari is that they can be so specific about the locations these stories take place. Some of them go right down to the neighborhood, street, and even extremely specific places. It makes them feel more real and close to us when you can literally visit and
Oct 13, 2022 • Subscribe
More like this
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Rokurokubi of Fuchū, Echizen Province
The first place that I lived in Japan was Fuchū, Echizen, so this story is very special to me. Although I never encountered any yōkai when I lived…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Monk Who Met a Bōrei in Shimotsuke
There are many nuanced ways to describe ghosts in Japanese. The most common words are obake (which means "changed thing"), yūrei ("faint spirit"), and onryō ("grudge spirit"). Tonight's…
(My Wife Draws) A-Yokai-A-Day: The Corpse That Came Back to Life in Echizen Province
I took it easy and rested my arm today, while my wife did another illustration. She was very happy to read all of your comments! The good news…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bakemono Called Shunoban at the Suwa Shrine in Aizu
These days shunoban is commonly known as shunobon. It appears as shunobon on yokai.com and in my book The Fox's Wedding. The reason for the spelling change is…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bakemono in the Outhouse
Tonight's story is very short and, if I'm being honest, doesn't translate too well into English. In Japanese, the language is creepy and evocative, but translated into English…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Unshō, a Monk from Shima Province, Escaped from a Poisonous Serpent
Tonight's yōkai is another serpent like the one we saw a couple of weeks ago. Contrary to my normal pattern of leaving yōkai names untranslated, I use English…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ōbōzu Bakemono at Lord Ogasawara’s House
After painting tonight's yokai, I slipped on the stairs and broke my drawing arm... Which is pretty upsetting on top of being painful. It's not a terrible break,…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Attachment of a Goze at an Inn in Mitsuke, Tōtōmi Province
The title of this story refers to a goze. Goze were a female counterpart to zatō, who we looked at earlier this month. The women were traveling entertainers…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Shinshaku
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Kanmushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Kanshaku
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Munemushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bakemono of Onoderamura in Sagami Province
The yōkai in tonight's story is unnamed, but it is referred as both a bakemono and a henge. The assumption, then, is that it is probably a shapeshifted…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bakemono of Komatsu Castle in Ōshū
Before we get to today's yokai, I'd like to take a moment to point out that both this website and yokai.com are presented ad-free and paywall-free. That's because…
A-Yokai-A-Day 2020 Lineup
Thanks for reading A-Yokai-A-Day, Pandemic Edition. 2020 has been a rough year, but at least we live in an age where we know more about diseases and cures…
A-Yokai-A-Day 2020 Lineup
Thanks for reading A-Yokai-A-Day, Pandemic Edition. 2020 has been a rough year, but at least we live in an age where we know more about diseases and cures…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri Musume
October is here, and you know what that means. A-Yokai-A-Day is upon us! Every day of the month, in celebration of Halloween, I will be painting and posting…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri Musume
October is here, and you know what that means. A-Yokai-A-Day is upon us! Every day of the month, in celebration of Halloween, I will be painting and posting…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Yūrei of the Kirishitans
Tonight's yokai is a yūrei, or simply, a ghost. There are lots of ways to say "ghost" in Japanese. Yūrei literally means "faint spirit," and it is used…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Dōchin’s Pride Was Wounded by a Tengu at Kuragari Peak in Kawachi
Today's tale showcases an exceedingly famous kind of yōkai: a tengu. They are one of the "big 3" yōkai of Japanese folklore, along with oni and kappa (and…
Coming Soon: A-Yokai-A-Day 2023!
Hello readers and yokai lovers! It's been nearly a year since I've posted here, as I've been more active on various social media sites, Patreon, and yokai.com these…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Shōni no mushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Ase no mushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Shōni no mushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Nekomata of Echigo Province
Animal yōkai are always popular with readers, both abroad and in Japan. I found that with the reaction to my latest book, The Fox's Wedding! Tonight's story is…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bōrei of Tsuruga Province
Today I am in Kyoto attending the Mononoke Ichi flea market and hyakki yagyo night parade. It's been 3 years since the last time this event took place…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Katawaguruma of Higashinotōin, Kyōto
Tonight's story is about a katawaguruma, although the original illustration found in Shokoku hyakumonogatari more closely resembles a wanyūdō. It just goes to show that the names and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Samurai’s Shiryō from Sendai
The creature in tonight's story is referred to as a shiryō. This is essentially identical to the term bōrei, which we've seen several times so far this month.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Denzaemon from Amagasaki Met a Bakemono at a Hot Spring
Today's yōkai is another generic-sounding "bakemono." It may have been a shapechanged kitsune or tanuki, although they often prefer to play tricks rather than outright kill their victims.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How the Obsession in Love Letters Became an Oni
Tonight's story features another oni and another chigo. The chigo here is presented as a sex symbol, the embodiment of the ideal male youth. The oni is born…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Three-Way Magic Contest in the Presence of Michinaga
Tonight's story features several famous figures from Japanese history: Fujiwara no Michinaga (966 – 1028), Kanshū (945-1008), Abe no Seimei (921 – 1005), and Tanba no Shigemasa (946-1011).…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Tanuki Who Transformed into an Old Woman at Nabari, Iga Province
Tonight's story is another one featuring a tanuki, and like the one from last week, it has a bloody ending. This time, though, the yōkai is a lot…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How a Tsuchigumo Turned into a Woman in Kaga
Tonight's yōkai is a tsuchigumo: an interesting term with a lot of history. Literally it means "earth spider," and they are depicted in scroll paintings as gigantic monster…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ghost of Honnōji Shichibyōe’s Wife
One thing I love about the stories in Shokoku hyakumonogatari is that they are so specific about the locations these stories take place. Some of them go right…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Onryō of Abe Sōbei’s Wife
Tonight's story features an onryō, the most terrifying of all Japanese monsters. (Yes, even more terrifying than the toilet stroker!) The fear of ghosts that come back from…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Attachment of Saigō Iyo’s Wife
Tonight's tale takes place in Gōshū, which is another name for Ōmi Province, or what is today Shiga Prefecture. Sawayama is in what is now Hikone City, however…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ao Oni of Kaga Province
Tonight's story is rather brief, but it's rather funny. The idea of all the bravest samurai from the three provinces of Kaga, Etchū, and Noto (comprising all of…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 7)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. If there is anyone left who doesn’t yet think that Urashima Tarō is a jerk for cheating on Otohime…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 23)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. It looks like Heiji’s plan is beginning to pay off. People are willing to pay dearly for a chance…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 17)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. One of the cool things about these kind of old books is that they have a rudimentary form of…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 29)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. If you thought the story couldn’t get any weirder after yesterday’s scene, you might be surprised by today’s page.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 27)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. It seems that Heiji and the mermaid have become rich and successful, but surely you knew the story wouldn’t…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 14)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Pages 14 and 15 share a double page illustration. The whole spread is posted below. Notice the byōbu in…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 30)
If you’ve enjoyed this year’s A-Yokai-A-Day, please support me Patreon and get stories like this all year round! Happy Halloween! All good things must come to an end,…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 21)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Today we start the third and final volume of Hakoiri musume menya ningyo. And the mermaid starts a new…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 5)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Pages 4 and 5 are depicted below. The illustration shows Urashima Tarō and Orino flirting in an expensive, private,…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 12)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. If this were a Disney story, you’d expect there to be a song by now. Well, in this scene,…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri Musume (page 3)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Today’s post is page 3 of Hakoiri musume. The illustration on pages 2 and 3 forms a double page…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 11)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Today we officially crack open part 2 of Hakoiri musume. Kibyōshi are often split into 3 or more volumes…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 28)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Just when all seems lost for baby-Heiji and the mermaid, a familiar pair of faces show up to save…