This review originally appeared on Goodreads on January 15, 2013.

The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yokai

By Matthew Meyer – March 1, 2012

Review by Robin Marx

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.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 10, 2022.

The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore

By Michael Dylan Foster (Writer), Shinonome Kijin (Artist) – University of California Press – January 14, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

Books about yōkai are becoming increasingly popular, even in English, but this is the clearest explanation I’ve encountered about the cultural context surrounding these folkloric monsters in Japan. It’s written in an extremely engaging manner and is a pleasure to read as well.

★★★★☆

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