Digital Techs Revive “Yokai” at Tokyo Immersive Art Event

By Waka Ota Tokyo, April 7 (Jiji Press)–An immersive museum event in Tokyo is bringing “yokai” supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore to life, offering a fantastical experience for visitors to enjoy historical artworks through cutting-edge visual and 3D technologies. “Yokai Immersive Experience Exhibition Tokyo” is being held at Warehouse Terrada in the Japanese capital’s Shinagawa Ward, featuring digitally recreated yokai from “emaki” picture scrolls and “ukiyo-e” woodblock prints. The event showcases works based on more than 300 yokai creatures, including “kappa” and “nurarihyon,” across eight themed rooms such as one titled “Birthplace of Yokai.” Through projection mapping technology with stereophonic sound, the event reimagines historical yokai illustrations from artworks of the Edo (1603-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) eras. Legendary creatures are projected onto walls and floors, making visitors feel as though they have stepped into another world. Origins of Manga and Anime “This is the first immersive art museum event dedicated to yokai art,” said Takeaki Higashiyama, CEO of visual content creator Hitohata Inc. “I think yokai have many elements that became the origins of Japan’s pop culture, including manga and anime,” he said, referring to Japan’s culture of characters. Historical yokai art shows that “Japan has had its own unique ‘kawaii’ cute culture since old times,” said Higashiyama, the exhibition’s producer and general director. One way to enjoy the exhibition is to “compare yokai depicted in Japanese history with yokai characters appearing in modern Japanese manga and anime,” Higashiyama added. The exhibition allows visitors to experience yokai art in various ways, showcasing the history of yokai-themed artworks, including works by famous artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Katsushika Hokusai, alongside contemporary works. “We want people to learn about Japanese culture and pass it on to future generations,” Higashiyama said. Yokai culture researcher Naoyuki Shimada said, “The exhibits explain the historical context behind why particular yokai art was created in each era.” “I want this exhibition to be an opportunity for visitors to find surprises and gain new insights,” when compared with more familiar forms of culture, added Shimada, editorial supervisor for the exhibition. Japanese comedian Kintalo, who does impressions of celebrities, cartoon characters and yokai, said at a press preview event last week, “There are interactive features that children can enjoy together.” Some yokai characters, such as “tengu” goblin-like beings, will be there to welcome visitors on some limited days. “The artistic ideas of people in the past are amazing,” Kintalo, a mother of two, observed. “I was surprised by the wide variety of facial expressions.” From Edo to Modern Times A highlight of the historical artworks featured in the event is “Soma no Furudairi,” (the ruined palace of Soma), an ukiyo-e print created by Kuniyoshi, a famous artist from the late Edo period. At the time, yokai were a popular theme in ukiyo-e. The print portrays a massive imposing skeleton looming overhead in a strikingly dynamic composition. It is based on a scene from “Uto Yasukata Chugi-den,” a tale written by Santo Kyoden. The color contrast of the skeleton appearing from the darkness gives an unnerving and tense edge to the work. Yet at the same time, there is somehow a comical element as well, possibly due to the mischievous expression of the skeleton. The eerie but beautiful monster also appears in the moving images in the room depicting “Hyakki Yako” (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), a theme depicted in scrolls by many artists. In the last room of the exhibition, visitors can view modern artworks from the Yokai Art Museum in Shodoshima, an island in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan. Chubei Yagyu, a yokai artist and director of the museum, stressed the uniqueness of yokai culture. “If we turn yokai into more entertaining forms and artworks, we can spread them around the world, so that more people will be able to find them interesting, regardless of their religion or culture.” Artworks by Yagyu, who has been an enthusiast of yokai since childhood, are also on display, including a huge, 7-meter-long painting depicting various yokai creatures, using “sumi” black ink. He said he gets inspiration for his original yokai from his daily life, including rocks, trees, flowers, and other items that catch his eye. The event, organized in cooperation with Iwase Bunko Library in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi, will run through June 28 at the Warehouse Terrada G1 Building near Tennozu Isle stations on the Rinkai Line and the Tokyo Monorail Haneda airport line, offering easy access to and from Haneda Airport. Visitors can get an entry fee discount if they are dressed in Japanese traditional clothes such as “kimono” and “yukata.” English information will be available throughout the exhibition. Visitors will be allowed to take photos inside the event. Same-day tickets will be 2,600 yen for adults. The inaugural edition of the yokai exhibition took place in Nagoya, the capital of Aichi, in summer 2025, attracting over 120,000 visitors. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]