Yokai - La parade nocturne des 100 démons

Yokai #1

by Matthew Meyer, Marie Kastner-Uomini (Translator)

Yokai - monsters from Japanese folklore - are some of the zaniest and wildest things ever imagined up. From the mists of Japanese prehistory, through the medieval ages, up to today, the bestiary of Japanese folklore contains a wide range of monsters. There are women with extra mouths in the backs of their heads, water goblins whose favorite food is human anus, elephant-dragons which feed solely on bad dreams, dead baby zombies, talking foxes, fire-breathing chickens, animated blobs of rotten flesh that run about the streets at night...
"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" is a massive illustrated bestiary choc full of yokai. It features over one hundred traditional Japanese monsters, each one beautifully illustrated in full color by yokai artist Matthew Meyer. Each yokai is described in detail, including origins, habitat, diet, and legend, based on translations from centuries-old Japanese texts.
Read this book, and the next time you watch an anime or a Godzilla movie, you'll be able to recognize their folkloric ancestors dating back centuries. You'll find out about all of the strange mythical animals you can see at temples and shrines, on beer can labels, and even on Japanese money. Meet the predecessors to Pokemon, Power Rangers, scary J-horror girls, and all of the strange creatures that pop up in Japanese video games. "Night Parade" will turn anyone with a passing interest in Japanese folklore into a full-blown yokai expert!

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Mythology, Folklore, History, Art, Asia

223 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Matthew Meyer is an illustrator and folklorist based in Japan. He received a BFA in illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2005. Ghost stories and folklore have been one of his greatest passions for his whole life. Since 2008 his work has been focused on Japanese folklore, particularly yokai studies. He is known as The Yokai Guy for his work on yokai.com, the online database of Japanese ghosts and monsters.

Reviews

[Lois Bujold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was fun.

What it says on the tin -- a contemporary compendium of yokai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. If one is someone (like me) who has been picking up the lore in scattered bits and pieces from anime and manga, this provides a more organized explanation. Also, the artist/author's illustrations are delightful, very much a tribute to earlier Japanese print art. I read this as an e-edition on my tablet, so had the art bright 'n clear and in color. Also, bless the author, a bibliography for further reading of sources is provided at the back.

I found this weirdly -- the original Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, an ancient Asian classic book (now partly lost? unclear), was discussed in an episode of the anime Hozuki's Coolheadedness. Sticking the title into Amazon's search function turned up this recent and very accessible version; a quick download of a sample assured me that it would be something I would like, and lo.

I see Meyer has two sequel volumes exploring yet more. Might be good value...

Ta, L.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this and the other 2 books in the series after getting sucked into the world and lore of the video game Nioh (Which is set in 1600 within a fictionalised dark fantasy version of the late Sengoku period, where the Yokai world intermingles with the world of the living). My interest in ancient and medieval mythologies certainly helped both along as well.

In my opinion this book is so very well done, the art is fantastic and pays pure homage to original Japanese style. The entries are well done, different names, translation of said name, it's habitat and diet being bullet pointed. After; what causes the Yokai to appear, any legends of it, what makes them tick, etc are included. All of this is rooted and set in what the original Japanese mythology stated.

Very much looking forward to the other 2 and Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien (The latter being reprints of the original art done by Sekien in the 1700's).

[SUSAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all things yokai and this is just one of the must-read "guides" to Japanese supernatural entities with amazing illustrations.
If you have an interest in world cultures and the supernatural this should definitely be in your library.

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty solid introduction to the yokai! The anecdotes end rather abruptly sometimes, but I do appreciate the brevity of each entry. Also the illustrations are hilarious 😆

[John Meszaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, full disclosure: Matt did the cover for my first novel.

However, the reason I approached him to do my cover in the first place was because I loved his artwork so much.

Matt's illustrations perfectly captures the look of classic yokai ukiyo-e (many of his works even have faint impressions of wood grain, a common feature of actual block-printed ukiyo-e) while still possessing a style unique to him.

He's clearly put hundreds of hours into researching even the most minute details of the yokai he presents, making this one of the definitive guides to Japanese monsters.

I particularly like that this book presents the creatures "in scene" rather than isolating them on a white page as many field guides to monsters often do. You get a sense of how they would actually look and behave as actual creatures in the countryside of Japan.

The only small quibble I have is that the cover of the book is rather plain and the words a bit hard to read. I get that Matt wanted it to look like an old bound tome-- something you might dig out from a pile of moldy tatami mats in the back of a forgotten temple. But if I saw this cover in a store, I would probably breeze right by. Again, though, that's a very, very small complaint about a gorgeous, well written encyclopedia of yokai lore.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This illustrated volume is a fun, if not especially deep, look at monsters from Japanese folklore. The book is an adaptation of Matthew Meyer's A-Yokai-a-Day web project, where he uploaded an original painting of one of Japan's traditional monsters (Yokai) along with a brief explanatory article.

The book reads a bit like a Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual, with each creature's appearance, diet, habits, and encounter spots listed. The text is breezy and entertaining, but doesn't offer much in the way of analysis or detail. The artwork was excellent, presented in a style that mixes traditional Japanese stylings with a more Western aesthetic. Overall this book offers an appealing look at an interesting side of Japanese culture, but those hoping for detail, citations, or more ethnographical content are going to be left wanting more.

[Nuria Irala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado, es un libro para leer de manera relajada y sin presiones. Quizá no era mi momento ahora pero aún así, los ratos que lo he leído lo he disfrutado. Ir leyendo sobre estos demonios y localizarlos en determinadas películas me ha hecho hasta ilusión .

[Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy buenas ilustraciones, contenido organizado y fácil de leer.

[Violeta Schlange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una guía súper chula, clara y concisa sobre los yokai.

[Pat MacEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compendium of yokai drawn from Japanese folklore - the title alone drew me to this book, but the illustrations pulled me through it. The author is an artist specializing in portrayals of yokai but here he has also included data on their origins, habitat, diet, and related legends, based on translations from centuries-old Japanese texts. Meyer also gives us side notes on things like funerary customs and the medieval practice of ohaguro, blackening of the teeth with a mixture of vinegar and iron filings (that last accompanied a description of the ohaguro bettari, a faceless yokai whose name translates as 'nothing -but- blackened teeth'). The author covers many of the better known yokai, such as foxes (kitsune) but gives equal billing to the obscure, ranging from the seldom-seen ghost whale (bakekujira) to my own personal favorite, the suzuri no tamashi (or ink stone spirit) where once the ink stone has been put to long, repetitive use, the ink itself takes on aspects of the story it has retold so often. Sometimes this proceeds to the point of recreating famous battles like the one that ended the Genpei War and the whole of the Taira clan, complete with sound effects, black seawater-like waves on the surface of the ink, tiny boats and even smaller samurai figures in mortal combat. The book ends with a description of the Edo period parlor game called hyakumonogatari kaidankai, whose point is having 99 guests spend the night telling each other horror stories, one by one, until they have each blown out their candle and the room is lit by only one. That is when the 100th and most frightening tale should be told, but the one who does so may also attract an ao andon, a glowing blue yokai which feeds on fear and will attack the entire group. That's why the party almost always ended before that final story was told. Sounds like that game might need to be revived! Who's up for it?

[Hots Hartley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prose is fairly easy to read and interesting. The pictures aren't bad but are way too realistic and gory for Japanese fantasy.

The physical book is overpriced for its content:
- 4000 yen at time of writing for around 100 yokai in 218 color pages.
- Not even a comprehensive list of all yokai, which is split into other books of the same cost.
- It's hard to look them up because other than a few broad categories, the organization lacks sense and sort order. There is an index at the back with page numbers, but the romanization of Japanese names themselves don't exactly lend themselves to memory.
- The Amazon reviews seem mysteriously inflated, in the sense that the score leans overly to five-star ratings with the same count across all three books. The positive written reviews are short and formulaic, while the negative reviews feel more in-depth and genuine. It doesn't feel authentic.

I don't recommend this as a reference, because it's not definitive. Better to use the author's website, yokai.com, unless you absolutely want printed copy.

[Travis Heermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little bestiary of the profusion of strange monsters from Japanese folklore. It was really well done, with an excellent illustration for each creature. This book is great for anyone interested in such things, highly recommended. As a student of Japanese folklore myself, I could tell that the author took a few liberties, made a few extrapolations, so if you're looking to do real research, this book would be a great place to start, but I would recommend going back to original sources. The thing with folklore is that it often conflicts by region and era.
One of the helpful inclusions is that each entry includes the kanji or kana for the names, which is useful when Romanization of the Japanese words comes across as gibberish. The Why of the names is often as interesting as the What of the creatures themselves.
In short, you can have a lot of fun and enjoyment with this book, just don't take it as a definitive source.

[Dushan Hanuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant reference!

I’ll keep it handy as I am sure I will find it useful to reference some yōkai on occasions. It offers such a unique peek into Japanese culture. There is so much that we, non-Japanese, simply have no idea about traditions, myths, and folklore of Japanese people.

The book is well organized, easy to navigate and search. The only thing that bothered me was the order of the text describing a yōkai followed by an image depicting it. I found myself scrolling down to look at the picture first then scrolling back up to read about it. Perhaps, it’s just how it’s displayed on an e-reader. Perhaps, the paper book can display the two (text, picture) side by side on two pages and it’s a less of a nuisance.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This healed the itch I've been looking for with one of my biggest interests being in world folklore. I found myself sucked in more in the world of Yōkai and learning tons more than the few I've already been exposed to in mainstream Japanese media. I recognized and noticed lots of similarities between Chinese folklore and demons that have made it into the Japanese world, and it was intriguing to see their own twists and how they are incorporated to this day still in Shinto and Buddhist practices. Truly entertaining, and I recommend as an intro into the basics of Japanese folklore. I'm already starting on book 2 since it delves more specifically into even more of my special interests in folklore. Perfect field guide for your bookshelf to go back to.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a real fondness for Japanese mythology and folklore--particularly when it comes to yokai. There are just so many of them, and a lot of them are so distinct from anything you'd find in Western tales, and The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a wonderful look at a sizable cross-section of them. Nicely illustrated, and filled with details about these weird and fascinating creatures, I can't recommend this highly enough to anyone with an interest in the subject. There are a handful of spelling/grammatical errors here and there, but they don't detract much from the overall experience.

[Rebo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been using yokai.com for years but had forgotten that I had the books (two of them, anyway), so finally decided to read them. I like how the language is clear and simple, culture things that you may not know as a non-Japanese person are explained, and they include not only translations/explanations of names but the kanji as well. And the art is really lovely. They have that woodblock print feel that fits really well. Gonna read the second book next, but may be a while until I can buy the other two I don’t have. If you have any interest in yokai or Japanese folklore, I recommend this as a good place to start.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Desde la neblina de la prehistoria hasta nuestros días, siempre han existido relatos de monstruos fantásticos en Japón, y por supuesto, el temido desfile nocturno de los cien demonios, en el que todos los Yōkai (妖怪) abandonan sus hogares y recorren las calles de Japón en un espectáculo masivo de pandemonio absoluto".

Esta guía contiene más de 100 entradas ilustradas con una amplia variedad de Yōkai japoneses, cada uno descrito en detalle , incluyendo hábitat, origen y leyendas basadas en traducciones de textos japoneses centenarios

[Yunie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the work that Mathew Meyer has done in regards to Yokai and Japanese folklore! I've read through his yokai website numerous times, but having the entries in book form are even better! Of course this is only one out of 3 volumes.

The information is detailed and well researched. And his accompanying artwork is fantastic! Definitely something I will read through again. I would also like to one day own physical copies of all three volumes.

Would highly recommend to anyone interested in yokai and Japanese horror and folklore.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun overview of Japanese Yokai. I went in with almost no knowledge so it was a good read as someone with little background. I liked the illustrations a lot in particular, they were great. I wish there had been more connections between the Yokai and Japanese history since often mythical creatures and lore have deep roots in history. Some Yokai were given historical context but it was very surface-level.

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the read

This thorough and well researched introduction to the world of yokai is well worth the purchase. It is also beautifully illustrated. I definitely recommend it for those looking to learn a little more about them. Now if only we could get more modern sightings and tales of them since folklore is a living thing.

[Karime Cury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó la forma en que trata a cada una de las criaturas de las que habla, las ilustraciones, y los datos que maneja. Sólo en ciertas ocasiones me hicieron falta mayores referencias: a veces hablaba de algún mito de pasada, en vez de contarlo completo, o hacía una mención de algunos datos que no esclarecía. Pero finalmente, me parece una buena base para conocer a los yokai japoneses.

[Aabha Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorites are the cute yokai. The otters, foxes etc.

I also like the one that is a dish rag that’s too old so it becomes a yokai. That is the stuff of nightmares.

I need new dish rags.

Some of the pictures are marvelous and striking.

Lots of interesting details and tidbits. I know which ones like to fart and which ones are a bit too fond of the sake.

[Alex Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Mythology buff and a fan of anime as well; this book was a wonderful amalgamation of these 2 things. The traditional legends of Japanese demons and yokai told in such lucid manner by the author made a very Good-Read for me (pun intended).so if you think of yourself as a supernatural or Mythology fan or are just a fan of Japanese culture then this book's for you

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently went to New Mexico, and visited the Museum of International Folk Art. The images online don't do it justice, it's a great museum. They had a Japanese Yokai (ghost or spirit) exhibit. In the shop, this was one of the available books. It provides a brief overview and history of Yokai in Japanese culture, with tons of illustrations, descriptions, and legends. Some of the yokai you might recognize from horror movies or stories, or from various anime. Don't expect short stories of yokai or oni (demons), expect this to be, like it says, a field guide to the folklore.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yokai Attack! might have been a somewhat better read, but this is a strong book on Japanese yokai. The illustrations are very good and the breadth is quite good relative to past historical works on yokai (including Toriyama Sekien's).

[Jonathan Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and informative

I’m a big myth and folklore fan and had never heard of most of these. It’s presented on a clear and entertaining manor. I also learned some interesting and handy tips for pronouncing Japanese wordss

[Miss Syreena]

I didn’t read exactly this version - I read The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" or The Illustrated Demon Horde's Night Parade) by Toriyama Sekien. Mythology is fascinating, recommended to anyone interested in Japanese culture.

[Nathan Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Reference Guide

Well written and well organized. Great pictures. Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Will be referring back to it often. Definitely going to check out the other books in this series as well.

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Descriptions of the yokai were fun and generally interesting, but I found most of the artwork to be unimpressive. On the whole, the book reads a lot like a monster compendium for a roleplaying game. I was hoping for something that felt more traditionally Japanese.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Meyer runs yokai.com, which I love and use a lot on my personal research on yokai. Good source of information. Also, his artwork is somehow more beautiful more printed in than it is on a computer screen.