About this episode

This episode explores the cultural significance of Yōkai in Japan through various scholarly resources.

Bright on Buddhism - Research Project Series - Yōkai Resources: Foster, Michael Dylan (2009). Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-25361-2. Hirota, Ryūhei (2021). "Traversing the Natural, Supernatural, and Paranormal: Yōkai in Postwar Japan". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 48 (2, Religion and Identity in Japan since 1940): 321–340. doi:10.18874/jjrs.48.2.2021.321-339. JSTOR 27039930. S2CID 237709697. Komatsu, Kazuhiko [in Japanese] (2011). Yōkaigaku no kiso chishiki 妖怪学の基礎知識 (in Japanese). Kadokawa gakugei shuppan. ISBN 978-4-04-703487-7. Komatsu, Kazuhiko [in Japanese] (2015). Yōkaigaku shinkō: Yōkai kara miru nihonjin no kokoro 妖怪学新考 妖怪からみる日本人の心 (in Japanese). Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-292307-1. Miyata, Noboru [in Japanese] (2002). 妖怪の民俗学 (in Japanese). Chikuma shobo. ISBN 4-480-08699-4. _________________________________ If you like our show and would like to support us, we encourage you to give your money or resources to a worthy cause. We can get through this. Our strongest weapon is solidarity. Stay strong and help where you can. Thank you. Do you have a question about Buddhism that…

People in this episode

Host: Nicholas Bright Haight

Topics covered

• Yōkai
• Japanese culture
• Buddhism
• Folklore
• Supernatural
• Religion

Keywords

• Yōkai
• Japanese monsters
• Buddhism
• folklore
• supernatural
• cultural studies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of California Press, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies

Books & works: Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yōkai, Traversing the Natural, Supernatural, and Paranormal: Yōkai in Postwar Japan, Yōkaigaku no kiso chishiki, Yōkaigaku shinkō: Yōkai kara miru nihonjin no kokoro, 妖怪の民俗学

More episodes of Bright On Buddhism

• What are the 3 mysteries in Shingon Buddhism? · May 8, 2026 · 27 min
• Sokushin Jōbutsu-gi - Attainment of Buddhahood in This Very Existence · April 24, 2026 · 51 min
• Who is Bhaisajyaguru? · April 17, 2026 · 18 min
• What is Gelug Buddhism? · April 10, 2026 · 24 min
• What is Hawaiian Buddhism? · April 3, 2026 · 16 min
• Kōans with Dox · March 27, 2026 · 29 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Bright On Buddhism podcast page.