Yōkai: the mysterious monsters of Japanese folklore

Yōkai represent the unknown and mysterious in Japanese culture. These supernatural creatures and their tales of humor, mischief, and horror have been apart of Japanese culture for all ages since the 8th century. The oldest known scripts in Japan contain myths and legends of Yōkai and  associate the unexplainable with Yōkai  and their magical essence since the 8th century. The realistic and fantastic forms of the creatures of Yōkai have captivated thousands as the storytelling and art form has become popularized in many cultures outside of Japan. The influence of the thousands of species of Yōkai can be found in manga, anime, filmed works, as well as video games.