Hello everyone again! In today’s blog we are going to travel very far away, to my favorite place ever. A place I was lucky to visit last year: Japan. This land is very rich in art, traditions and culture. Today’s topic mixes all these elements: The yokai. 

Yokai are supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore that include mischievous spirits to terrifying monsters. Their name can be translated as "apparition" or "mysterious being", and they have been a part of Japanese culture since ancient times, especially in oral legends, literature and art. The relationship between yokai and art is deep. Since the Heian period (794-1185), they have appeared in illustrated scrolls (emakimono) such as the famous Hyakki Yagyõ or "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons", where a multitude of supernatural creatures parade through the night, creating chaos. In the Edo period (1603-1868), artists such as Toriyama Sekien and Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicted them in ukiyo-e prints, helping to define their visual forms. 

Among the best-known yokai is the kappa, a creature with a turtle shell and water in its head that lives in rivers and lakes. It’s mischievous and sometimes dangerous, but can be defeated with ingenuity. The tengu, has red face and long nose, lives in the mountains and is a master of martial arts. The yuki-onna, or "snow woman", appears during winter storms. She is beautiful and ethereal, but can freeze you with her breath. It reminds me of Medusa.

Today, yokai remain present in contemporary art, manga, anime, and video games, demonstrating their power to adapt and continue to fascinate new generations. For example in my favorite movie when I was little, Spirited Away from Studio Ghibli, or (The trip of Chihiro, in the Spanish version). In the movie, Chihiro fights to survive in a world full of Yokai. 

I hope you enjoyed, see you soon! Be careful with the yokai when you go to sleep.