“Yokai: Iconography of the Fantastical. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons as the Source of Supernatural Imagery in Japan”
An exhibition commemorating the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Spain
to be held in Madrid

June 5, 2018

This exhibition focuses on works that offer viewers the chance to appreciate the power of imagination of the Japanese people and the different ways in which that power is expressed. Among the items on display are kimono and netsuke, sword guards (tsuba) and knife handles, plates, bottles and children’s toys.

Image of Courtesy of Miyoshi City: Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Picture Scroll (detail) / Kimono with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Pattern (right)
Courtesy of Miyoshi City: Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Picture Scroll (detail) / Kimono with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Pattern (right)

Yokai culture was disseminated to the masses during Japan’s Edo Period (seventeenth-nineteenth century). It is believed yokai emerged in the Japanese psyche out of fears of the uncontrollability of nature―natural disasters, changing weather, plagues―and anxieties of the soul. The spirits, demons and monsters are depicted from as far back as the Muromachi Period (fourteenth-sixteenth century), when the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons picture scroll was painted. The many forms of these strange-looking creatures―including those depicted generation after generation based on the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons and those newly created―were shared widely with the general public in the Edo Period with the proliferation of woodblock printing and editorial culture. People gradually became familiar with yokai and began to find them entertaining. They have since been turned into cute, loveable characters frequently featured in manga, animation and gaming.

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Organizer / General inquiries
The Japan Foundation Arts and Culture Dept.
Person in Charge: Tokuyama (Ms.)
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6063 / Fax: +81-(0)3-5369-6038
E-mail: Akiko_Tokuyama@jpf.go.jp

Press Inquiries
The Japan Foudation Communication Center
Person in Charge: Kumakura (Ms.)
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6075 / Fax: +81-(0)3-5369-6044
E-mail: press@jpf.go.jp

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