First Yokai Museum Opens in Japan

As we have mentioned before, monsters are an essential part of Japanese folklore and culture. There are literally thousands of them with different features and powers. Some are considered slightly more innocuous than others, only causing mischief and annoyance while more sinister ghouls are feared for their malevolence.

Now, through the work and efforts of Japanese ethnologist and yokai researcher Koichi Yumoto, the city of Miyoshi will behold the very first yokai museum which will feature artifacts and items from Yumoto's yokai collection which he donated a few years ago.

Located in Hiroshima Prefecture (also home to the Onomichi Museum of Art and its famous cats Ken-chan and Go-chan), the Miyoshi Mononoke Museum features "about 160 items from Yumoto’s collection, which includes a scroll painting of the famous folktale and crafts," an "interactive digital picture book of yōkai" as well as opportunities to "take photos with the monsters using a special camera set up at the site."

(Image credit: Miyoshi Mononoke Museum)