Written by Saeko Aoe, Sizuha Arai, Kyoko Sasaki, Kanako Yokoyama

`ROKUROKKUBI’,`HITOTSUME-KOZO’,`KARAKASA’… These are famous YOKAIs that have spread for long long time. We recognized their existence and have lived with them with fear or friendship. Now, there are many magazines or animated cartoons whose heros are YOKAIS. `TOIRE NO HANAKOSAN’, `GEGEGE NO KITARO’ are examples of them. They fascinate many Japanese people. For a long time, it has been impossible to separate YOKAIS from Japanese. There are mysterious power of YOKAIs.

Japanese people and YOKAIs

Japanese people have not only been afraid of YOKAIs but also respected them. They have been lived around people. For example, in OSIIRE (Japanese closet), toilet, kitchen or pond around houses. People sometimes regard tools which was handled roughly as YOKAIs. Adults have been taught children marvels of nature, customs of life or importance of handling things carefully through YOKAI stories. This way, though YOKAIs are known as terrible, horrible creatures, they have another face `educational model’.

“ITTAN-MOMEN”

“ITTAN-MOMEN” is clothe　which is about three meter long.

He(or She) flies especially at night.

“BAKE-ZOURI”

”BAKE-ZOURI” dose not make us afraid. She(or He) plays a harmless trick.

“SUNA-OTOKO” (German)

He comes when children go to bed and tries to make them sleep by putting sand into their eyes.

“KASINN” (China)

“KASINN” let children who put red clothes set fire.

ABURA-SUMASHI

He is so cool, but the attitude keeps his shy secret. If you follow the example of his cool manner, you can be brave.

SHIRO-BOUZU

If you wish, you can have smooth and fair skin.

Ittan-Momen 〜 Shiro-Bouzu

　　参考文献 (References)

　水木しげる著　『水木しげるの続・妖怪辞典』東京堂出版

　　　　　　 　水木しげる著　『水木しげるの続・世界妖怪辞典』東京堂出版

As we can understand through these paragraphs, “YOKAIs゛have been coexisted near and “closely” with us for a long time. Recently, we think them unimaginable creature which we can find only in a book. “YOKAIs” have been made and admitted their value of existence by people. Why did people let them “exist”?

Should we think their value of existence once again? Now in consequence of our selfishness, destroying of the earth is progressing. Now such being the case, “YOKAIs” will certainly teach us the important thing.

Look！They exist behind your back・・・・・