Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai

by Michael Dylan Foster

Water sprites, mountain goblins, shape-shifting animals, and the monsters known as yôkai have long haunted the Japanese cultural landscape. This history of the strange and mysterious in Japan seeks out these creatures in folklore, encyclopedias, literature, art, science, games, manga, magazines, and movies, exploring their meanings in the Japanese cultural imagination and offering an abundance of valuable and, until now, understudied material. Michael Dylan Foster tracks yôkai over three centuries, from their appearance in seventeenth-century natural histories to their starring role in twentieth-century popular media. Focusing on the intertwining of belief and commodification, fear and pleasure, horror and humor, he illuminates different conceptions of the "natural" and the "ordinary" and sheds light on broader social and historical paradigms―and ultimately on the construction of Japan as a nation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, History, Folklore, Japanese Literature, Mythology, Anthropology

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Ihor Kolesnyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Неймовірно круте дослідження японської демонології, йокай, монстрів і звичаїв, які пов'язані із ними. Якби мої студенти могли легко читати англійською і досліджували саме цю тему, то для них - фундаментальне джерело усіх наступних класичних джерел. Мало ілюстрацій - власне заради них випадково скачав цю монографію, але.. зміст вимальований дуже і дуже на високому рівні.

Рекомендую усім фанатам японської культури і дослідникам також.

[Abe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand Pokemon (and other products of Japanese cultural heritage yada yada) a whole lot better now.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very in the middle about this book; it wasn't fantastic but it also wasn't bad. It's an academic read so it can be quite dry in parts. Overall, I thought the information was presented quite nicely and it kept my interest enough to finish the book, even though it took me quite a while. I was a little disappointed as I thought it would be more about specific monsters in Japanese folklore. Instead, it focused on the "mysterious" in Japan. I was also very disappointed that the author used Freud quite heavily in his analysis. The pace seemed to pick up a little more once the author got closer to the contemporary. All in all ok, but I don't think I'll be reading this author any time soon.

[Dinda Hanifannisaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good books for academics who want to study about Yokai.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important companion to The Book of Yokai!! Foster is still The Guy for yokai studies in the English-speaking world

[Stu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pandemonium and Parade is an interesting blend of intellectual history and folklore scholarship. Foster uses major periods of Japanese history to frame his discussion, demonstrating how authors of different eras approached the yokai - supernatural creatures that, Foster maintains, are uniquely Japanese in character. The study focuses on a limited set of yokai writers spanning three centuries. The neo-Confucian Edo period, for example, is represented by the bestiaries of Toriyama Sekien, whose collections of supernatural creatures parallel the encyclopedic zeitgeist of the time. Examining the early Meiji period and its mania for Western-style rationalization, Foster focuses on the work of Inoue Enryo, whose detailed studies seek to debunk and explain traditional supernaturalism, often through the prism of Freudian psychology. Moving into the twentieth century, Pandemonium and Parade shows how yokai were increasingly used by fiction writers as expressions of nostalgia; this sentiment is typified by a poignant anecdote about a tanuki (a shape-shifting raccoon dog with a traditional love for tunnels) who is run over by a train. By the end of the book, we see yokai being used more inventively, with manga artists like Mizuki Shigeru creating new characters, and the encyclopedic tradition experiencing a marked rebirth.

Foster's study is not itself a compilation of yokai stories. Rather, it is a detailed examination of trends in Japanese thought and how they are reflected in yokai folklore and creative work, including nods to international sensations that have their roots in yokai tradition - such as Godzilla and the Pokémon mythos. Somewhat unexpectedly, Foster draws on nationalist theorists like Benedict Anderson to argue that the yokai are a self-consciously Japanese mode of expression and celebration of national character. Though the yokai do have their appeal abroad, Foster points out that most internationally successful adaptations of yokai motifs are extensively stylized, and that more traditional characterizations - even in modern works set in the present day - have very limited appeal outside of Japan.

Pandemonium and Parade is an intellectually disciplined examination of change in one aspect of Japanese thought over time integrated with broader changes in society, and will be a rewarding read for those with an interest in intellectual history and folkloristics. The book still bears the structural hallmarks of a doctoral dissertation, however, lacking some of the rhetorical niceties that similar works use to guide readers through their topics. As such, though an excellent study, this book may not be as approachable as it could be.

[Sebastián · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wealth of information for those interested in the history of yōkai. Unfortunately, this often reads like a PhD expanded into a book, with rambley tangents that, while often interesting in themselves, aren't that fun to read as a whole. Foster's at his best when the focus is clear, like in his in-depth critique of the Kuchi-sake-onna (slit-mouthed-woman) phenomena of the 70s. Like his subjects of analysis (the Japanese people), he categorises monsters and spirits into a comprehensible cultural history, and almost manages to move beyond this project into a less past-oriented terrain in the latter chapters... As it is, this is an interesting examination of folklore metamorphosing through the ages.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very long and dense, since I was very unfamiliar with the subject matter. I took notes and frequently retread sections, but I enjoyed it very much. I now have a list of creatures to research, books to find translations of and movies to watch so I could understand the subject matter more than just cursorily. This book was an amazing introduction into the Japanese world of supernatural beings and their history.

[Skaragrimson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An academic yet accessible study on the folklore, history and anthropology of yokai. Segues nicely into the modern influences of yokai and pop culture. If you want a detailed and well researched treatment of yokai then this is it. An excellent work however those with more of a passing interest may find it a bit heavy going at times.

[Dominique Lamssies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was extremely glad to see that a book like this had finally been written. This book looks at the history of youkai in Japanese pop culture. Though it does require some knowledge of Japanese history, it does a very good job of educating the reader about the function of at least one aspect of the supernatural in Japanese culture.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Michael Dylan Foster gets tenure I hope he revisits this subject...without the really awful academic writing.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on Japanese yokai (like fairies but better and harder to classify)- the best in english I've been able to find.

[Janne Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in the folklore studies of Japan - this is the MUST-READ book.

[Roni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like Yokai? Then you'll love this.