Yokai Monsters: By the Great Masters of Japanese Woodblock Printing

By Philippe Charlier

This exquisitely produced volume explores Japan's most haunting, terrifying and mysterious monsters through the eyes of its greatest printmakers.

Japanese folklore teems with strange and spectral beings-- yōkai. They slither from wells, creep through forests, or inhabit forgotten household objects. These creatures have long reflected deep cultural anxieties and obsessions, and their influence endures today, pulsing through manga, anime, and horror cinema like walking nightmares haunting our daily lives.

In the follow up to his bestselling Yōkai Ghosts, Charlier examines these beings through their myths, habitats, and behaviours, uncovering the human fears and desires they embody. With the voice of a storyteller and the insight of a scholar, he traces how these spirits emerged from a world lit only by lanterns, when shadow and silence gave rise to the imagination's most haunting macabre inventions.

Their dramatic and often humorous depictions helped shape how yōkai were seen and understood in the nineteenth century -- and laid the foundation for visual traditions that continue today.

The follow up to the bestselling book Yōkai Ghosts, by the same author.Sumptuous silk cover, colored edges, Swiss and Japanese tube binding, and ribbon ties.Over 100 prints by artists such as Hokusai, Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi, Kunisada, and Yoshimori.Organized thematically, the book's chapters focus on particular types of yōkai monster.Places monsters in cultural and historical context while revealing their continued relevance.
Beautifully produced, this volume will appeal to readers fascinated by Japanese folklore, printmaking, horror, and the art of the uncanny.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3791394223
• ISBN13: 9783791394220
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.7" x 9.1"