Why Yokai!?

The macabre and mysterious folklore of Japan.

Japanese Ukiyo-e artwork is rich with images of vengeful spirits, magical shape shifting animal deities and demonic Oni, as well as wealth of everyday items and objects that may not be what they seem. So what is a Yokai and why am I so interested in them?

Yokai directly translates to “strange appariton” a broad statement used to describe the natural phenomena and unexplained natural occurrences that we may run into on a day to day basis. Whether it’s a creaking floorboard at night or a figure you see moving out of the corner of your eye there’s a Yokai to explain this.

A harmless buddist ritual drum that’s reached enlightenment or a powerful deity of the storms, they all fall under the umbrella term of Yokai. Because of their varied folklore and imagery I love working on all things Yokai. Be it a smaller one hit design or a full Japanese backpiece tattoo.

Last year I started working on a loose book project that eventually became “Yokai - Strange Apparition” a collection of sketches, folklore descriptions and a finished piece of artwork for a selection of Yokai.

If you’re after a unique Japanese tattoo with a macabre twist, then definitely dip your toe into the world of Yokai. Swing me a message using my contact form and I’d love nothing more than to tall over ideas!

A two tailed Nekomata, a demonic cat Yokai based off of my customers pet Maru.