Mythical Creatures of Japan

The book by Inga Ivanova "Mythical Creatures of Japan" is a bestiary of Japanese evil from A to Z, an encyclopedia of Japanese demons, ghosts, werewolves, and monsters illustrated with Ukiyo-e engravings. The book by Inga Ivanova "Mythical Creatures of Japan" is a bestiary of Japanese evil from A to Z, an encyclopedia of Japanese demons, ghosts, werewolves, and monsters illustrated with Ukiyo-e engravings. Japanese mythology is a unique worldview system. It is a world unlike any other, populated by supernatural beings: demons, werewolves, ghosts, animated objects, and animated natural phenomena. The ancient traditions of the country have made Japanese monsters completely different from their Western counterparts.

The book is dedicated to the supernatural beings of Japan: obake and bakemono, yokai, mononoke, oni, yurei, onryo, and tsukumogami. Otherworldly beings in Japan are quite material. Some are deadly to humans, others are friendly, and some simply enjoy playing pranks on people, but in a way that can be terrifying. More than two hundred creatures are gathered under one cover. The uniqueness of the book lies in the fact that each character has not only a description but also a "portrait." These "portraits" have become the canonical depiction of mythical creatures of Japan and the basis for the work of many contemporary artists. The authors of the images are Katsushika Hokusai, Takehara Shunsensai, Toriyama Sekien, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Kawana Kiyosai, and other Ukiyo-e artists. Japanese Ukiyo-e engraving is one of the most recognizable forms of traditional arts in this country and spans the period from the 1660s, when the genre first emerged, until the end of the 19th century.