Collection: Yokai Art Prints

Yokai art prints: Japanese demons, ghosts and spirits

Long before anime and video games, yokai haunted Japanese art. From the 16th century, painted scrolls showed the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, and in the 19th century the boom of ukiyo-e woodblock prints made yokai a favourite subject of Edo’s most popular artists. This collection gathers fox spirits, monsters, ghosts and demons drawn by the masters of the genre.

Fox spirits: kitsune prints

The fox, or kitsune, is the great shape-shifter of Japanese folklore. Utagawa Kuniyoshi tells the story of the nine-tailed fox that bewitched three empires in The Magic Fox of Three Countries, while Tsukioka Yoshitoshi shows a fox under a vast moon in The Moon on Musashi Plain and in The Cry of the Fox.

Monsters and heroes: Yoshitoshi’s yokai

Yoshitoshi loved scenes of combat with the supernatural. In our selection, Minamoto no Yorimitsu cuts at the Earth Spider, I no Hayata kills the nue, a chimera that haunted the imperial palace, Shirafuji Genta watches kappa wrestling in a river and Taira Yoshikado disarms two goblins.

Ghost cats and demons: Kuniyoshi and Kyōsai

Kuniyoshi’s Ghost Cat looms over a haunted scene as a giant bakeneko, and Kawanabe Kyōsai, his former pupil, fills The Long-Tailed Demon with spirits, men and foxes in a wild, ironic tumult.

Choosing a yokai poster for your home

Yokai art covers many moods. Kappa and dancing creatures bring a playful touch to a hallway, a study or a reading corner, while ghosts and demons make a bold statement for lovers of dark, dramatic art. Black frames suit the graphic lines of these prints, and a yokai piece contrasts beautifully with the serene landscapes of our Japanese woodblock prints.

Frequently asked questions