Yokai Parade

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The travel exhibition “Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan”, organised by the Japan Foundation and co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong, will be held from 5^th April to 5^th May, at the Pao Galleries at Hong Kong Arts Centre, introducing the public to the mysterious yet fascinating world of Japanese Yokai. Admission is free of charge.

Curated by Mr Yumoto Kōichi, Director Emeritus of the Yumoto Koichi Memorial Japan Yokai Museum, this exhibition introduces Japan’s yokai culture that extends to the present day through 84 exhibits, comprised of picture scrolls and nishiki-e (“brocade picture,” a type of multi-coloured Japanese woodblock print), as well as a diverse range of media, including toys and films.

Japanese yokai have appeared in a variety of tales as characters that express such supernatural powers, serving to instil surprise and fear in people. Thereafter, as times progressed and the development of new science and technology brought about changes to people’s lives, yokai seem to have gradually become less of a subject of fear and have perhaps come to be viewed as a more charming and friendly presence. Japan still has a culture of enjoying kaidan (ghost stories and tales of the supernatural) in the summertime, with yokai seen dominating television and theatre screens across the country. This exhibition focuses on the “popularisation” of these yokai and invites viewers to venture into and explore their profound world of mystery.