History of Yōkai
Yōkai storytelling has been traced back to the 8th century in Japan's history. Before Japan was an island nation, it was made up of various kingdoms and tribes scattered throughout the island. The earliest forms of Yōkai storytelling were truly folkloric in nature. They were short stories passed through word of mouth from generation to generation and exchanged across regions. The stories served as entertainment as well as legends that typified specific regions and local belief systems of Japan. As modern technologies such as the printing press were created, the stories of Yōkai were even further distributed across Japan's various tribal-kingdoms.
The Edo period (1603-1868) is considered to be the golden age of Yōkai storytelling. This period was a peaceful time in Japan's history, appreciated and representative of a Japan's aspirations for achievement in art, literature, and drama. The creation of renowned Japanese art forms such as kabuki drama, ningyō jōruri (puppet theater), and woodblock prints happened during the Edo period. Yōkai storytelling was combined with these art forms and became a robust aspect of folklore in Japanese storytelling. So popular was Yōkai storytelling that compiling encyclopedic collections of Yōkai for sharing purposes became popular among Japanese artists.
Toriyama Sekien (1712-1788) was one of the most popular folklorists of this time who also else kept a collection of Yōkai stories as he traveled throughout Japan. Seiken's collection was special in that it cataloged each Yōkai with an image and story that he created or originated from traditional Japanese folklore and Chinese literature. Seiken is credited with drawing over 200 Yōkai and creating a method of compiling Yōkai as a physical art form to be shared verbally.
The Meiji Period (1868-1912) is considered one of the most turbulent times for Japanese folklore in that Yōkai storytelling was almost completely eradicated. As Japan was westernized and swept into a wave of modernization. A cultural shift away from its historical benevolence for the supernatural and instead Japan pursued scientific and rationalist logic. There was an academic effort led by Inoue Enryō to scientifically address each known story of the Yōkai and dispel its significance with science and logic. Ironically enough, Inoue created one of the largest collection of Yōkai descriptions and narratives from all over the country. As the government of Japan grew and became more militarized, the traditional Yōkai beliefs were seen as superstitious and troublesome. By WWII, Yōkai was almost lost within Japanese culture with remnants of the storytelling only among more remote populations.
In the later 20th century, cultural attitudes changed around Yōkai once again. Instead of viewing Yōkai as a meaningless superstition, academics such as Yanagita Kunio (1875-1962) began to study Yōkai as Japanese folklore. He began to collect stories, art, and narratives of Yōkai as means to better understand the lives of Japanese people in different regional areas. He recognized that Yōkai provide a portal into the soul of local Japanese cultures. Through the study of Yōkai, Kunio could learn the values, fears, and varying depths of imagination of Japan's various regions and their cultures. As Yōkai became popular in academic setting, it soon became popular in the entertainment setting as well. Manga artists like Mizuki Shigeru (1922-2015) created popular series that heavily incorporated Yōkai narratives into his work. As the popularity of Yōkai has spread, the monsters of Yōkai can now be seen in manga, anime, filmed works, as well as video games.
