Yōkai During Edo Period

The Influence of Yōkai During the Edo Period - Leah Tooke

Throughout much of the history of Japan, yōkai has been at the forefront of folklore and culture. However, their use and influence in Japanese society changed drastically in the Edo period. Before this time, yōkai was used to explain the unexplainable and embody the collective fears of Japanese society. However, starting in the Edo period (1600-1868), yōkai became more like characters in a way, being used in art and plays for humor and parody (Foster 1). What was once mysterious and scary became more tangible and easy to understand, as Ukiyo-e artists and playwrights used them as muses and objects of inspiration. 

Interestingly enough, yōkai was also commonly used in politics - especially in political illustrations. In the art piece titled Tsuchigomo by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, yōkai is shown to be invading the mansion of a historic general’s house while his bodyguards fail to notice or do anything. This was a commentary on the state of the Japanese government and its failure to act accordingly to pressing matters (Anonymous 3).

Another way yōkai were made a bit more tangible and digestible, was the emergence of Bakemono, or shapeshifters. This subcategory of yōkai emerged from the common belief that certain animals, such as foxes and raccoon dogs, were tricksters that could shapeshift into humanoids. Some examples of this are the kappa, an anthropomorphic turtle-like creature that resides in the water, and the tanuki, magical shape-shifting raccoon dogs thought to bestow good fortune (Masanobu 4). This new subcategory of yōkai not only made them easier to comprehend but even able to get to know or even befriend similar to how one would with a human.