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The Book of Yokai
- Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
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The Book of Yokai
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Summary
Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappa water spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories.
Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, listeners will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries on more than 50 individual creatures. The Book of Yokai provides a lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its ever-expanding influence on global popular culture. It also invites listeners to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. By exploring yokai as a concept, we can better understand broader processes of tradition, innovation, storytelling, and individual and communal creativity.
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What listeners say about The Book of Yokai
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter Brohus
- 10-02-21
Great for people interested in Yokai-philosophy
This book is amazing if you are interested in the world of yokai and the philosophy of their existence.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rafa
- 26-02-24
So much fun
Wonderful book, interesting and fun stories. A glimpse into Japanese folklore and culture. Great writer and a great reader.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-07-22
very relaxing
I found it to be an engaging and relaxing read. Will be recommended to my friends.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-03-21
Lovely book
Everything. Stunning work! Love how we dive into the world of yokai with such analysis!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Double D
- 08-10-23
Not a bad liste overall
But, I'm glad I listened to this book a after listening to other texts mentioned within.
I was surprised not to hear of more obvious similarities drawn with modern texts which have minded japanese lore for inspiration, like in the chapter pon bathroom/ outhouse hauntings and the number three! All the way through, I was distracted thoughts of JK Rowling, now notorious for having incorporated "re-packaged" ideas from other sources. The murdered schoolgirl, Myrtle, who haunted the third floor girl's bathroom who we first meet in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets immediately came to mind, her name meaning (from various cultures over the years) youth, pre-marriage virginity, fertility, innocence, immortality, fidelity, above all love; but also, peace, victory from a bloodless battle and of Eden.
With such a glaring ommission, it detracted from my enjoyment of this book as a whole, as I kept wondering how much else had been missed and omitted....
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jenny Leigh
- 23-09-21
Fun
Insightful and fun learning about the different Yokai throughout Japanese history.
I would say at times the narrator is too fast but other than that, it's a great book for any lovers of Japan and Japanese history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- gemma
- 24-06-23
love it 😀
I love this book, it is so interesting, love the stories about the different Yokai👌
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- N. Booth
- 16-05-21
Spoilt by poor pronunciation
This book is full of interesting information about yōkai, but is spoilt by the narrator's poor pronunciation of Japanese words (starting with the word yōkai itself). From the simple-to-pronounce correctly kappa, which he incorrectly pronounces kapa, to the truly awful abomination he makes of the words Hyakki Yagyō. To anyone with knowledge of Japanese this makes it quite painful to listen to and concentrate on.
If I were a narrator of a book chock full of foreign words, I'd spend a day or two learning how to pronounce them correctly or at least acceptably.
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dean Teasdale
- 01-03-22
Excellent reveiw of beasties
If I'd had money to hand rather than a credit, I'd have bought the physical book for the illustrations, but it was nice to be able to listen to the audio at work.
The narrator is excellent, the first half of the book concentrates on the history and cultural place of Yokai, and the places where written and oral culture flow into each other.
Though there was some excellent coverage of the Slit–Mouthed Woman scares of the 70's, I was a little disappointed that there weren't more cryptid style first hand accounts included, though this might be because there just aren't any, I came away unclear on that.
The last four hours is the Bestiary, the most entertaining bit 🙂
Best Yokai Name:
Sickle Weasel
Scariest Yokai: The little boy who offers you Tofu, Bleurgh!!
An excellent book, with some remarkable insights into the place of Yokai, and surprising and unexpected examples of influence from outside Japan on the phenomena 🙂
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gus Ross
- 08-07-19
Comprehensive cultural analysis
Beautifully read and very understandable, this book has been a charming treat! It was very easy to pick up when I needed something to distract me and provides a great grounding in the culture behind Yokai. As an anthropology student I found it academically interesting, and I think that anyone could enjoy and learn from it!
It was recommended by the YouTube channel gaijin goombah media and I hope that more people pick it up as it deserves the attention!
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3 people found this helpful