So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish: Yokai 妖怪

Yokai (妖怪) is difficult to translate into English. It's a kind of troll or spirit in Japan. I like Yokai folklore. It has a dry and innocent sense of humor.

There are many nouns of strange creatures in Japan. When I said I liked Yokai folklore, somebody misunderstood I liked horror story. Yurei (幽霊) folklore often is horror story. However, Yokai is not. So, I clarify the category of unnatural and spiritual creatures in Japan.

Obake (お化け)
Obake is all strange creatures. Obake causes uncanny phenomenons. Obake includes Yurei and Yokai. When people encounter something strange in the dark, they often say 'It's Obake!' Something people cannot understand is called Obake.

Yurei (幽霊) - ghost

Dead people turn to Yurei if they have some regrettable or resentful things. For example, getting murdered suddenly, or, leaving lovers behind. Yurei try to reach satisfaction by taking their revenge. Or, Yurei keep going to bring off their task of their lifetime, such as taking care of child. To get satisfaction, Yurei involves irrelevant people. It's scaring. When Yurei get satisfaction, they vanish.

Kabuki (歌舞伎) and Rakugo (落語) often take up on the subject of Yurei. That is part of the reason that the existence of Yurei is related to tragedy.

Yokai (妖怪)

Yokai live in darkness beside human. If you live in the countryside, you may suddenly hear the strange sound from next room with no people. Yokai do that. Yokai is almost harmless but they like giving people a surprise even if you're scared to death. Yokai don't think that they treat you cruelly. In folklore of Yokai, they appear in public but do nothing mostly. I think Yokai don't like human and don't dislike human. They aren't an enemy of human, neither friend. Yurei is the spirit of dead people, but Yokai is another being.

The comics of Yokai story. Humorous, mystery and placid.