Summertime, and the reading is easy. A slight rift on a familiar song. School is out, parents and teachers can come up for a breath of air, and everyone can switch to some different reading adventures.
Now, I confess, when I was a kid my idea of summer fun was to choose a country and read everything I could about it. Yes, I agree, I was a strange child – not arguing with that observation you probably just made my dear readers!
In truth I have not really changed, because I am still working my way through parts of the Pacific Rim, and my country of choice this summer is Japan.
It’s actually a re-visit because I missed a few areas the last time around. The first time I was too interested in the language and the history and not enough in the folk culture. This time I am coming from the standpoint that humans are storytellers, and one of the best ways to explore a culture is through the folklore and myths that are so dear to each country. The traditional stories told to, and by, members of the household are now my focus, and the Japanese culture is replete with delightful tales of the supernatural.
“The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore” by Michael Dylan Foster is my first choice. This particular volume, occupying a space between the academic and the popular, is a massive effort – given that serious research on Yokai published in English is limited. Fortunately, Yokai themselves are becoming more and more familiar to people in countries other than Japan, so in the future we may see more books on this subject. First, Foster provides his reader with a strong understanding of what a Yokai is: any number of beings that are “in-between.”
These are “creatures of the borderlands, living on the edge of town or in the mountains between villages, or in the eddies of a river running between two rice fields.” They can appear at twilight, haunt bridges or tunnels, and even doorways in homes.
This explanation is done in the first part of the book and the second part identifies pretty much all the known Yokai in Japan, and provides short stories describing their attributes and activities.
It is known that every prefecture, every town, and even sometimes just an individual neighborhood, will have its own Yokai. While these creatures are often blamed for a misfortune; in the case of a Zashiki-Warashi (house spirit), one taking up residence in the house guarantees the family good fortune.
There may be some pillow flipping or other mischief done by the house spirit, but other than that, the prosperity of the family in the home is pretty much guaranteed, as long as the spirit resides within the walls. If they are not honored, however, they may leave, and this can bring misfortune.
I enjoyed the comprehensive nature of this book and when Foster identified real animals as the basis for some Yokai creatures, I pursued the idea further and came upon “Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan” by Zack Davisson. This proved to be my best find for getting a handle on the beloved felines of Japan. I like cats (please don’t mention this to Isabella the eternally barking Chihuahua!), I like stories that have an historical as well as modern cultural context, and I really like the Ukiyo-e bracketing Davisson’s stories.
Ukiyo-e, by the way, is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries, which includes the Edo (Tokugawa) period c. 1600-1868. Traditionally, this art form was used, among other venues, for illustrations of folktales.
Although ubiquitous in Japan in modern times, cats were originally quite rare. They were kept as companions in royal households, and sometimes thought of as a type of minor god. Cats did not mind this.
Davisson’s slim compilation of traditional Japanese myths about cats encompasses all regions of Japan, from the cosmopolitan centers such as Tokyo, to the tiniest village in the most remote sections of the country. Each period in Japan’s history, from the time cats first arrived on the shores – possibly from Korea, is detailed with a strong emphasis on the Edo period. The Edo period was not only the golden age of arts, it was also the golden age of Yokai, and most of Japan’s monsters came about during this time.
Of course, the nekomata, now a ferocious cat-like Yokai, was most likely based on a terrifying breed of mountain cat that really did roam the Nara prefecture at one time. Eventually it was turned into a Yokai during the Edo period and thus real and imaginary eventually blended into folklore and myth.
Turning a real animal into a Yokai, is currently located in Japanese manga fantasy, and often shown in the form of a tanuki. My current manga favorite is “The Fox and Little Tanuki” by Mi Tagawa.
The tanuki Yokai is based on a small species of real canine that is native to Asia, but now, sadly, extinct in Japan. Tanuki have markings that closely resemble those of a raccoon and have also been known to display similar raccoon-like behaviors including the washing of food. The fox, as a kitsune Yokai, is also extremely popular. Combining the two, a kitsune and a tanuki, makes this manga a sure winner.
Teen readers see Manga as one of the most popular folklore venues, and while first found in Japan, it is now tremendously popular in Western countries. And now you know how Japanese parents rope in their reluctant readers ages 12 to 18. Actually, manga is fun for just about any age, although youngsters seem to adapt more easily to the format. The books are read back-to-front, top-right-to-bottom-left. A number map for direction of how you read the pages usually accompanies the book, so adults don’t get as confused. Kids seem to be fine with the format.
In this manga, the fox, a Yokai named Senzou, was born with great powers. Instead of using those powers for good, however, he became so wicked that the Sun Goddess imprisoned him for 300 years as a punishment. At the allotted time she woke him and gave him a mission: raise and protect a little tanuki. This is Senzou’s one chance at redemption and while he fights it, he really starts to care for the little creature.
Interestingly, the pair encounter a neglected Zashiki-Warashi in their travels, set things right for him, and move on to other adventures, bumping into other Yokai along the way. Eventually, our lovable little tanuki does get into serious trouble and we are left hanging at the end of this first volume.
The second book will not be out for another couple of months, so if you don’t mind being left hanging, this is a fun introduction to fantasy manga. If you do mind, get both books in August.
I am glad I read these books in the progression I wrote about in this column, because without the background knowledge of Yokai, and experience reading the structure of Japanese folktales about cats, I am not sure I would have grasped all the subtleties of the manga, although I suspect kids would have done just fine.
So, choose a country, dive deeply, read widely, and explore the world with books – while we wait for safe travels again.