@@TheDarkNinjaX9 Technically not cause Yurei are their own category. They're people who can't move on into the afterlife due to extreme emotions such as anger, sadness or vengeance. Basically saying Yurei are still yokai is like calling a western ghost a cryptid like big foot or the moth man, if that makes sense?
Shogo's presentation is basically like a typical school presentation but with much higher quality. What a huge testament from academic presentation lol
That is definitely one of my favorites too. I just love the feeling of that ancient forest and all its inhabitants, and the way it kind of blends history and fantasy. Miyazaki is a master...
Yes I love that movie. Deff a all time fav anime. If you like that style. Watch spirited away. It’s of the same style of anime. Or howls moving castle. Another great anime. Those are from my top ten most fav anime.
@@fastgav Monster doesn't really connote the spiritual or "magical" aspect of Youkai, though. Monsters are usually physical creatures like Bigfoot or Old Nessie...or the biological abominations of Resident Evil. Plus, obake is usually already translated as monster. Personally, I prefer Faefolk or "spirits of nature".
@@kaminana144na2 Yokai *does* encompasses things like bigfoot though. It's basically anything that looks extraordinary, like oni which are basically Japanese bigfoot. There's nothing supernatural about an oni at all. They're just mountain giants that likes eating people. They have a community, sometimes seen in groups, and they presumably reproduce (sometimes with humans too). Sometimes they practice magic but the point is they don't need to always be magical. Yokai is closer to the word "cryptids" and it's basically a throw bag. It's not exclusively supernatural. Nature spirits are more like mononoke, just like what Shogo said in the video. They're like yurei but non-human in origin and appearance. Some mononoke are yokais like the disease mentioned in the video, but not all of them are. It seems the definition expands into Shinto gods because the Princess Mononoke movie depicted them as forest god or some sorts. The word mononoke itself doesn't have a kanji though so it's hard to know for sure the real meaning. I think it's safe to translate it as "spirits" though it needs to be distinctly non-human. Yurei and onryo are easy. They're basically ghosts, straight and simple. Yurei is "lingering spirits" and it can be either regretful or vengeful, or even maybe hopeful since I've read some short story long ago about a parent that passed away but refuses to move on until their child's college entrance result is announced (they're not harming anyone and it's quite bittersweet in fact but I forgot the exact detail). Onryo is "vengeful spirits" and they *must* cause destruction. There's no exact standard of *why* they must harm people. It could be they were cursed by something or someone, could be they're bound by a deal with the devil, or maybe they're just super angry. The last one obake is not really a group of creature. It's just a general term for a phenomenon that spooks you. As explained in the video the root of obake is "to disguise", so the main thing is what it looks like. A yokai can be an obake because it spooks you, a yurei can be too if it spooks you, same with mononoke. The closest English word to obake is "apparition". It's not exclusively a creature, but what matters is that it spooks you. If I have to make a venn diagram, there are three big circles of "spirits of nature" mononoke, "lingering spirits" yurei, and "vengeful spirits" onryo. Those three circles never intersect, because they are mutually exclusive. The monoke circle intersects with the "cryptids" yokai circle, as some mononoke are yokai but not all, and vice versa. The yokai circle doesn't intersect with anything else because a human spirit can never be a yokai. Finally "apparition" obake doesn't have a circle. You can call anything you just saw as an obake as long as it spooks you (and you believe that you don't know it's exact nature, hence disguise, because if you had known the nature of something that spooks you, like a serial killer, then it's not an obake).
I literally jumped and yelled at the mentioning of Yokai Watch hehehehe, it's so underrated here in the US, and I have loved it for many years.. I didn't know there was a difference! This video as well as many topics on the channel really clear things up for me. Thank you!
From what I've seen of it, it's essentially pokémon, except they can talk. They even copied Pokemon's strategy of releasing two games with very slight differences and version exclusives so you have to trade between them to obtain them all.
@@damyenhockman5440 First of all, they only made it in Yo Kai Watch 2&3. In Yo Kai watch 4 doesn't exist version exclusives anymore. When Yo Kai watch just had (we are speaking of: had) the version exclusives and the swap mode is it then like Pokemon only because of these 2 similar things? When you play the games will you see that it has nothing to do with pokemon.
Inuyasha! ❤️ Another great anime with a lots of yokai is Kakuriyo No Yadomeshi. Oni, tengu and a lot more. And as far as stories go... kuchisake-onna is a bone chilling one.
DEFINATELY! Inuyasha is a brilliant story that only gets better as you learn more and more of the story as it goes on..Its such an interesting and unique idea for antagonist....
I watched Inuyasha back when I was a kid, and Kakuriyo is really awesome, the girls are picking their monster-husbando back then (me and the boys are into monster girls instead haha)
I find it very interesting how yūrei are described as having no legs, as the western idea of ghosts also depicts them as having no legs. It's fascinating how different cultures can develop such similar ideas completely independently. EDIT: Also, that picture of the Nurikabe you used at 9:59 is absolutely adorable!
A culture could be born because there is a cause... And this ghost culture would always had similiarities even when the country are different and so far away. And when you think about it, this "ghost culture" date at a long time ago when trading information is really hard to get. Then why they could have similiarities?... That only means there are lot of people experience this phenomenon in a same way, and that's why this ghost culture born in a similiar way. This kind of study always lead to "pseudo science" territory, since proving "ghost" is plainly imposible (maybe it could be possible when human have technological breakthrough about particle). But one thing for sure, we could sense ghost or even worse, experience it but we couldn't pinpoint it (cause they are formless) and we ussualy only think of it as a mere "suggestion". That's it for my rant... Thank You.
When he wondered why I immediately knew - you don't hear them approaching, if you can't hear them walk, it makes sense they have no legs and float instead.
@@starfishinamber my theory is that the legs of a person connect them to the material world. They quite literally connect the body to the ground of the earth. So something immaterial and no longer connected to our plane of existed would not have that connection back to the earth.
Wait until you see the Edo period pictures of nurikabe. They look like derpy, blocky tigers or dogs. I've even seen someone describe them as looking like Falcor from The Neverending Story.
I've learned, that Obake are ghosts that changed in a particular way. To say it more easily: They are some kind of shapeshifters like Bakeneko, Kitsune or Tengu. I know they are also connected with Yurei but for me it makes way more sense to distinguish the Yurei from the term of Obake and to see Obake more of a specific kind of Yokai. Funny thing as well: In the Horror Game Phasmophobia we do have Yokai, Yurei, Onryo, Oni and Raiju - so they are somewhat confusing if you know Japanese mythology. Furthermore in the game the only ghosts that do not give footprints are wraiths and I'm still super confused that Yurei have footprints without having legs or feet xD
I love how i immediately knew which Yokais you were talking about in the intro, despite being Brazilian. Even the wall and the Piece of Cloth, just because of how much i like yokai xD Also didnt expect Natsume Yuujinchou and Nurarihyon no Mago to be brought up 💕
As a longstanding student of Japanese culture, your video outperforms anything else I've seen on RUclips on this subject. Thank you for your continuing commitment to high quality and rigor!
Haha, I couldn't stop thinking of the game, Phasmophobia. The name literally means the fear of ghosts, and it's a game about figuring out what type of ghost is haunting a given area by finding different kinds of evidence. I'm pretty sure all three of the current developers are based in the UK, but the game has a lot of Japanese ghosts like the Yurei, Onryo, Oni, Obake, and more. Very interesting to learn more about the actual lore and history of said ghosts!
Very informative I was also under the impression that Onryō could also be generated from a living beings kind of like a poltergeist which are said to also show up even if people are alive due to a stressful or abusive situations sometimes even overly active or stressed out adolescents can cause them as well
Nurarihyon no Mago was one of my favorite series growing up, I'm so sad it got cancelled... 😭 Nioh 2 is another recent--and I think, super cool--instance of Japanese media displaying yokai in a fantasy setting. It's an action RPG where you play as a loosely based fantasy interpretation of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during various warring times in Japan, whilst seeing various Japanese historical figures like Oda Nobunaga, good/evil yokai, and all sorts of lovely things. I really enjoy the care that the developers--at least seemed--to put into the cultural themes, and the raw action of fighting yokai, samurai, shinobi, onmyo practitioners, warrior monks, "yokai slayers", and more. The story itself may not always be the most coherent as far as plot structure goes, but the game brings plenty of fun experiences and themes in my opinion. As an anime fan, it's also nice to see something other than anime represent that stuff for once. (It's similar to Dark Souls, but also based on Ninja Gaiden, another Koei Tecmo action game.)
Nioh 1 and 2 skim on actual Japanese history with some fantastic directions, but the people depicted are hella badass, no matter which side they're on. Also what's more interesting is the depiction of Yokais being closer to the classical arts yet visually they're able to exist together in the world without looking out of place. The art direction is very cohesive.
Nurarihyon no Mago is one of my favorite anime!! I'm so happy to see others talking about it it too!😭 I hardly see people mentioning it. It had some of the best yokai representation in anime! I miss it soo much 😔
I love how organized and professional you speak. No matter the topic you're always so calm and consistent, and i really wish i could be like that more. Keep up the great work!
In one of my favourite video games "Okami" there's a obstacle called "Blockhead". I never noticed that it was probably inspired by that wall yokai. Anyway, I'm so happy that I found your channel! You explain everything in a way that even an amateur would understand. All your videos are interesting and inspiring. Thanks to you, I'm sure I'll visit Kyoto someday!
I remember watching Princess Mononoke in my college. It's sure fun and memorable. I also get to know these that have yokai in them: Inuyasha, Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan, Omamori Himari, and Shonen Onmyouji.
I find it very interesting how many parallels there are with Shinto beliefs and Pagan Celtic beliefs. Similar ideas on the soul, animism, etc, and yet at opposite ends of the world as it was understood until the discovery of the Americas.
I think the same. The ideas behind the Yōkai and the Sidhe are similar from an animist aspect. Animism itself is nothing unique I'm human history, but the similarity between Japanese Shinto folklore and Celtic Pagan folklore is uncanny. But not with some underlying reason other than coincidence. It's still fascinating and a neat way to bridge cultures that otherwise may find it difficult to identify with each other.
In Hawaii, Japanese as well as folks from other cultures call ghosts "obake". There are also "hitodama" which are described as fire balls - flying orbs of light.
Thank you for teaching us shogo sensei Honestly I appreciate learning about this amazing culture and I pray that I continue to learn of its history and development through this entertaining channel
Thanks for the videos about Japanese folklore! I’ve been into it since I was a kid. I had relatives living in Japan who sent me a book series from the Kodansha English Library called Once Upon A Time In Japan. I loved the stories so much I told them to other kids on camping trips. I would love to hear about some of your favorite folktales. It may be worth doing a review of the series- I don’t think anyone else on RUclips has done that, at least from a couple cursory searches in English.
Onryo are my favorite of Japanese stories. I think the distinction between the three yurei you've mentioned is that obake are ghosts that hit the uncanny valley hard, mononoke are spirits with grievances against indirect slights, and onryo are spirits who've returned to settle a score between them and the person who directly wronged them. Also, I'd like to thank Ghostwire Tokyo for helping me find the distinction between Yokai and Yurei, and of course you as well, Shogo.
NATSUME YUUJINCHOU. YEEEESS. I had somehow guessed that Yokai and Yurei were very different. So Ayakashii is more Yokai? I heard that Kyoto is the centre of Ayakashii and Onmyouji in the past.
Thank you so much, Because of you're burning passion and desire to share Japan to us, Watching you're video makes me feel like im being toured to Japan 😊💖 Honto ni Arigato 😊💖
Just sent off my Bachelors Thesis that describes the influences of Kaidan and Yūrei (and western horror elements) in Suzuki Kōjis Ringu and then you come along with this video. これは吉兆でしょう。ありがとうございますよ^^
@@16shokushu Hey, so where is your web comic about Yokai? (It sounds like something I’d be interested in.) I was GOING to subscribe to your channel for that...but no content yet! 😆
I always translated yokai as "traditional folklore monsters". You know like the boogieman or something like that. Also one of my pet peeves is when they translate Oni as demons, when it's actually Ogre that fits the best.
Ogre doesn't really fit Imo. Oni are the in-between of Demons and Ogres. Cuz they're not just clumsy Ogres. They're pretty demonic and smart. That's why they created the 魔 Kanji, to define the Magical Evil of Oni.
No, it actually is demons that fit and the most common depictions just tend to be the kanabo-wielding ogres. It's really hard to tell sometimes, but there are various yokai that can also be considered oni. For instance, amanojaku (Whom I'm sure you know about because of the Ghost Stories dub) is considered a type of oni. What I want to know is what pigeonholes a yokai as specifically an oni. At best what I can tell is that oni are creatures that tend to be native to one of the Buddhist hells, but can appear in the human realm if an especially evil person turns into one.
@@blackknightjack3850 Demons are more about pure evil and corruption, oni, while savage are more like wild beasts and you can sort of come to an accord with them that will allow you to coexist, their entire reason for being isn't literally making you suffer or bringing you down from the path of virtue in some way. And no, I know of Amanojyaku from Urotsukidouji, I am a man of culture.
Rokuro-kubi I see that it was the inspiration of that one teacher in Little nightmares. She's terrifying I love reading about Youkai, they are just amazing and entertaining, Also I enjoyed drawing some of them as an Inktober challenge back in 2018 I would love to do it again
Folklore has been my jam for years but I have just started to study folklore from different Asian countries so thanks so much for the primer on Japanese spirits and creatures, even getting down to the etymology that has so much to do with the understanding of it all. You rock :)
Another great video!! But like others who've commented, it'd be nice to see a second part with Ayakashi, Yasha/ Yaksha and others that aren't mentioned as much.
Hi shogo, I'm a 1st time watcher but long time japan fan. I think with English translation spirit is the closest term they have for being of supernatural nature. Because demons of western culture tilt towards heavy western Christianity after being close minded for centuries in past even non believers today we may not recognise them as demons. However early west paganism had spirits such as elves who were a form of forest spirit, not human, not dead and not divine (angel type being. As a nihongo beginner u quickly notice English is kind of broad speaking and lacks one word a particular thing/situation. Anyway I think I rambled. Continue to look forward to ur videos.
The yurei vs onryu reminds me of the ghost vs. wraith distinction, where as a ghost is a generalized term for a disembodied soul or spirit, a wraith is specifically a malicious ghost.
Except, a disembodied spirit is called ikiryo or shoryo or ikisodama, depend on variables.. :') Yurei vs onryo is like, footwear vs boots and outerwear vs sweater and vehicle vs car..
That list of yokai you gave really reminded me of the game Nioh, as all seven of them are in Nioh. I guess because those yokai myths are common in old Japan, and that is what that game focuses on.
If I'm correct, I believe that "Bakemono" essentially means "shape shifter", therefore the difference could be that Bakemono appear or disguise themselves as people, but have a hidden creature body.. Perhaps.
@@gyounce1 Bakemono is often treated as an umbrella term to describe the yokai that can shapeshift. So, things like kitsune, tanuki, bakeneko, and the like would be considered yokai, but also bakemono. Though I've also heard this be contested as untrue, so it's hard to be certain how accurate it is.
Heres a great idea for you! Make a video about lets say 5-10 actual animes..you teach how to pronounce the name of anime...pronounce characters..places..names of objects..etc etc will be highly visited and liked😆👌
I wrote an essay about this topic in addition to some other things, and I wish I would've found this video before I submitted it because I feel like I learned a lot more about the topic that I could've clarified in my essay.
No way! I kinda knew yokai was in a way a genre of it's own regarding mythology but I'm thrilled to hear I fit the description as well! It's so nice to fit in 😊 I'm just kidding of course but my name really is Chimera.
Personally I translated them as Yurei is a Spiritual Body and Yokai is a Monster with physical body . Thank you for your wonderful explanation they are more clear to me now .
It's embarrassing how excited I got when Nurarihyon no Mago was mentioned. It's what introduced me to Yokai and Japanese folklore in the first place, so it's always nice hearing people still mention it.
This one is really nice, specially because it seems many Japanese people are not quite sure of the difference themselves. When I was growing up, my Obachan and Ojichan (my mother's parents) would tell me stories about yurei: the ghost of a woman whose neck would stretch forever. Now I know that's not a yurei. Thank you.
When I saw the title of this video, somehow my mind instantly went to think about the Shuten-Doji and his fight against Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Fascinating story that was.
I really enjoyed this video Sensai, but I have a question for you: do tanuki, and kitsune with their powers also fall under the category of yokai or do they fall under another category? If they are yokai would they be considered obake?
Some animals that live many years, surpassed their natural lifespan, will turn into youkai. Tanuki and kitsune would be in that category. In my country, we have the same folktales.
@@miyako1909 you say in your country, what country is that? You also say same kind of folktales are you referring to the the kitsune and tanuki specifically or just magical animals?
Thank you very much for the interesting and informative video! I love Inuyasha, Fukigenna Mononokean, and Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi. Soooooooo many Youkai!!!😁💖👍
ooohhhh thank you for the lesson sensei! That is really lesson, and you are right, Idid appreciate anime more and their concept. As i study Japanese, I have to agree, some translations are just really lost in what is correctly being said.
"A Yurei is a someone; a Yokai is a something." Got that from the Yurei Attack! book :D
I like this short explanation!
But Yurei are still considered Yokai no?
@@TheDarkNinjaX9 Technically not cause Yurei are their own category. They're people who can't move on into the afterlife due to extreme emotions such as anger, sadness or vengeance. Basically saying Yurei are still yokai is like calling a western ghost a cryptid like big foot or the moth man, if that makes sense?
Now I'm confused is kitsune Yokai or Yurei
@@mohammedwheels9072 Kitsune classifies as a Yokai 👌
Shogo's presentation is basically like a typical school presentation but with much higher quality. What a huge testament from academic presentation lol
Somehow I remembered one movie it's called "Princess Mononoke". It was and still is my favourite movie from childhood.
OMG same!!!
I believe that if it once became your favorite movie from your childhood, then it always will be one.
@@JOXOcean I agree. That feeling follows you all through the adulthood. :)
That is definitely one of my favorites too. I just love the feeling of that ancient forest and all its inhabitants, and the way it kind of blends history and fantasy. Miyazaki is a master...
Yes I love that movie. Deff a all time fav anime. If you like that style. Watch spirited away. It’s of the same style of anime. Or howls moving castle. Another great anime. Those are from my top ten most fav anime.
Normally, I tend to translate "yokai" in my head as "folkloric creatures", "supernatural beings" or something like that.
I always translated it as monster.
@@fastgav Monster doesn't really connote the spiritual or "magical" aspect of Youkai, though. Monsters are usually physical creatures like Bigfoot or Old Nessie...or the biological abominations of Resident Evil. Plus, obake is usually already translated as monster.
Personally, I prefer Faefolk or "spirits of nature".
agree, i also prefer the term of "supernatural things"
@@kaminana144na2 Yokai *does* encompasses things like bigfoot though. It's basically anything that looks extraordinary, like oni which are basically Japanese bigfoot. There's nothing supernatural about an oni at all. They're just mountain giants that likes eating people. They have a community, sometimes seen in groups, and they presumably reproduce (sometimes with humans too). Sometimes they practice magic but the point is they don't need to always be magical. Yokai is closer to the word "cryptids" and it's basically a throw bag. It's not exclusively supernatural.
Nature spirits are more like mononoke, just like what Shogo said in the video. They're like yurei but non-human in origin and appearance. Some mononoke are yokais like the disease mentioned in the video, but not all of them are. It seems the definition expands into Shinto gods because the Princess Mononoke movie depicted them as forest god or some sorts. The word mononoke itself doesn't have a kanji though so it's hard to know for sure the real meaning. I think it's safe to translate it as "spirits" though it needs to be distinctly non-human.
Yurei and onryo are easy. They're basically ghosts, straight and simple. Yurei is "lingering spirits" and it can be either regretful or vengeful, or even maybe hopeful since I've read some short story long ago about a parent that passed away but refuses to move on until their child's college entrance result is announced (they're not harming anyone and it's quite bittersweet in fact but I forgot the exact detail). Onryo is "vengeful spirits" and they *must* cause destruction. There's no exact standard of *why* they must harm people. It could be they were cursed by something or someone, could be they're bound by a deal with the devil, or maybe they're just super angry.
The last one obake is not really a group of creature. It's just a general term for a phenomenon that spooks you. As explained in the video the root of obake is "to disguise", so the main thing is what it looks like. A yokai can be an obake because it spooks you, a yurei can be too if it spooks you, same with mononoke. The closest English word to obake is "apparition". It's not exclusively a creature, but what matters is that it spooks you.
If I have to make a venn diagram, there are three big circles of "spirits of nature" mononoke, "lingering spirits" yurei, and "vengeful spirits" onryo. Those three circles never intersect, because they are mutually exclusive. The monoke circle intersects with the "cryptids" yokai circle, as some mononoke are yokai but not all, and vice versa. The yokai circle doesn't intersect with anything else because a human spirit can never be a yokai. Finally "apparition" obake doesn't have a circle. You can call anything you just saw as an obake as long as it spooks you (and you believe that you don't know it's exact nature, hence disguise, because if you had known the nature of something that spooks you, like a serial killer, then it's not an obake).
@@kaminana144na2 Djinn is a very fitting translation for Middle Easterners.
As a Touhou Project player/fan, this video pleases my soul
I am also a Touhou Project fan. :>
@@maliejdieartist 2hu gang gang
I expected this kind of comment
Cool, it seems like Shogo knows Touhou.
ahh another 2hu user here
Now I understand where they get Pokemon ideas
And Personas
And monsters from Monster Hunter
And yo Kai for yo Kai watch
I knew they were little demons.
I literally jumped and yelled at the mentioning of Yokai Watch hehehehe, it's so underrated here in the US, and I have loved it for many years.. I didn't know there was a difference! This video as well as many topics on the channel really clear things up for me. Thank you!
Yokai watch is the best!! I really wish it got more recognition as it’s such a great game series! I’m still playing it now😄
From what I've seen of it, it's essentially pokémon, except they can talk. They even copied Pokemon's strategy of releasing two games with very slight differences and version exclusives so you have to trade between them to obtain them all.
Me too!!I used to watch it everytime!!
@@damyenhockman5440 First of all, they only made it in Yo Kai Watch 2&3. In Yo Kai watch 4 doesn't exist version exclusives anymore.
When Yo Kai watch just had (we are speaking of: had) the version exclusives and the swap mode is it then like Pokemon only because of these 2 similar things? When you play the games will you see that it has nothing to do with pokemon.
I used to think of Yokai watch as a love child between Ben 10 and Pokémon 😂
Inuyasha! ❤️ Another great anime with a lots of yokai is Kakuriyo No Yadomeshi. Oni, tengu and a lot more. And as far as stories go... kuchisake-onna is a bone chilling one.
DEFINATELY! Inuyasha is a brilliant story that only gets better as you learn more and more of the story as it goes on..Its such an interesting and unique idea for antagonist....
I LOVE Kakuriyo. I’m sad there is no season two for the anime but I would like to read the manga, the world and characters are just so fun.
I watched Inuyasha back when I was a kid, and Kakuriyo is really awesome, the girls are picking their monster-husbando back then (me and the boys are into monster girls instead haha)
I find it very interesting how yūrei are described as having no legs, as the western idea of ghosts also depicts them as having no legs. It's fascinating how different cultures can develop such similar ideas completely independently.
EDIT: Also, that picture of the Nurikabe you used at 9:59 is absolutely adorable!
A culture could be born because there is a cause... And this ghost culture would always had similiarities even when the country are different and so far away. And when you think about it, this "ghost culture" date at a long time ago when trading information is really hard to get. Then why they could have similiarities?... That only means there are lot of people experience this phenomenon in a same way, and that's why this ghost culture born in a similiar way. This kind of study always lead to "pseudo science" territory, since proving "ghost" is plainly imposible (maybe it could be possible when human have technological breakthrough about particle). But one thing for sure, we could sense ghost or even worse, experience it but we couldn't pinpoint it (cause they are formless) and we ussualy only think of it as a mere "suggestion". That's it for my rant... Thank You.
When he wondered why I immediately knew - you don't hear them approaching, if you can't hear them walk, it makes sense they have no legs and float instead.
@@starfishinamber oooh. fascinating
@@starfishinamber my theory is that the legs of a person connect them to the material world. They quite literally connect the body to the ground of the earth. So something immaterial and no longer connected to our plane of existed would not have that connection back to the earth.
Wait until you see the Edo period pictures of nurikabe. They look like derpy, blocky tigers or dogs. I've even seen someone describe them as looking like Falcor from The Neverending Story.
congrats on your 100k you earned it
Woah when did that happen?
Yōkai and yūrei. My favorite topic. Kitsune are my favorite. My favorite character is Tamamo No Mae
meine are kyubi und Núe
The tengu Is my favourite
Chochin-Obake is one of my favorites.
sorry Mine are Kyubi and Núe
I can straight from Linfami’s channel
I've learned, that Obake are ghosts that changed in a particular way. To say it more easily: They are some kind of shapeshifters like Bakeneko, Kitsune or Tengu. I know they are also connected with Yurei but for me it makes way more sense to distinguish the Yurei from the term of Obake and to see Obake more of a specific kind of Yokai.
Funny thing as well: In the Horror Game Phasmophobia we do have Yokai, Yurei, Onryo, Oni and Raiju - so they are somewhat confusing if you know Japanese mythology. Furthermore in the game the only ghosts that do not give footprints are wraiths and I'm still super confused that Yurei have footprints without having legs or feet xD
I love how i immediately knew which Yokais you were talking about in the intro, despite being Brazilian. Even the wall and the Piece of Cloth, just because of how much i like yokai xD
Also didnt expect Natsume Yuujinchou and Nurarihyon no Mago to be brought up 💕
I wish natusme would be finished :( they never finished it
@@GudHunterYT96 Sad times. But hey, if you havent checked out Nurarihyon, i recommend
@@LucasF25 will do
Nurarihyon no mago is super awesome and worthy of watching! 👹
When I think of yokai I think of gege no kitaro
It's the a rectangle can be a square, but a square can't be a rectangle explanation.
As a longstanding student of Japanese culture, your video outperforms anything else I've seen on RUclips on this subject. Thank you for your continuing commitment to high quality and rigor!
Haha, I couldn't stop thinking of the game, Phasmophobia. The name literally means the fear of ghosts, and it's a game about figuring out what type of ghost is haunting a given area by finding different kinds of evidence.
I'm pretty sure all three of the current developers are based in the UK, but the game has a lot of Japanese ghosts like the Yurei, Onryo, Oni, Obake, and more. Very interesting to learn more about the actual lore and history of said ghosts!
Thank you for that explanation! I’ve always heard of Oni my whole life, but I definitely learned a lot today!! Thank you Shogo!!
A great video as usual, thank you Shogo!
Very informative I was also under the impression that Onryō could also be generated from a living beings kind of like a poltergeist which are said to also show up even if people are alive due to a stressful or abusive situations sometimes even overly active or stressed out adolescents can cause them as well
Yes very true.
No an Onryo is basically the violent variation of a Yurie. That’s Kayako from Ju-on the Grudge is
Nurarihyon no Mago was one of my favorite series growing up, I'm so sad it got cancelled... 😭
Nioh 2 is another recent--and I think, super cool--instance of Japanese media displaying yokai in a fantasy setting. It's an action RPG where you play as a loosely based fantasy interpretation of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during various warring times in Japan, whilst seeing various Japanese historical figures like Oda Nobunaga, good/evil yokai, and all sorts of lovely things. I really enjoy the care that the developers--at least seemed--to put into the cultural themes, and the raw action of fighting yokai, samurai, shinobi, onmyo practitioners, warrior monks, "yokai slayers", and more. The story itself may not always be the most coherent as far as plot structure goes, but the game brings plenty of fun experiences and themes in my opinion. As an anime fan, it's also nice to see something other than anime represent that stuff for once.
(It's similar to Dark Souls, but also based on Ninja Gaiden, another Koei Tecmo action game.)
Nioh 1 and 2 skim on actual Japanese history with some fantastic directions, but the people depicted are hella badass, no matter which side they're on.
Also what's more interesting is the depiction of Yokais being closer to the classical arts yet visually they're able to exist together in the world without looking out of place. The art direction is very cohesive.
Nurarihyon no Mago is one of my favorite anime!! I'm so happy to see others talking about it it too!😭 I hardly see people mentioning it. It had some of the best yokai representation in anime! I miss it soo much 😔
I’m also curious about the etymology of “Ayakashi” and “Bakemono”.
I love how organized and professional you speak. No matter the topic you're always so calm and consistent, and i really wish i could be like that more. Keep up the great work!
In one of my favourite video games "Okami" there's a obstacle called "Blockhead". I never noticed that it was probably inspired by that wall yokai.
Anyway, I'm so happy that I found your channel! You explain everything in a way that even an amateur would understand. All your videos are interesting and inspiring. Thanks to you, I'm sure I'll visit Kyoto someday!
I remember watching Princess Mononoke in my college. It's sure fun and memorable.
I also get to know these that have yokai in them: Inuyasha, Nura Rise of the Yokai Clan, Omamori Himari, and Shonen Onmyouji.
I recommend you watching also Spirited Away!
i very much enjoy the summary at the end that wraps everything up neatly
I find it very interesting how many parallels there are with Shinto beliefs and Pagan Celtic beliefs. Similar ideas on the soul, animism, etc, and yet at opposite ends of the world as it was understood until the discovery of the Americas.
I think the same. The ideas behind the Yōkai and the Sidhe are similar from an animist aspect. Animism itself is nothing unique I'm human history, but the similarity between Japanese Shinto folklore and Celtic Pagan folklore is uncanny. But not with some underlying reason other than coincidence. It's still fascinating and a neat way to bridge cultures that otherwise may find it difficult to identify with each other.
In Hawaii, Japanese as well as folks from other cultures call ghosts "obake". There are also "hitodama" which are described as fire balls - flying orbs of light.
This information is really helpful for separating differences, thank you for explaining!
Thank you for teaching us shogo sensei
Honestly I appreciate learning about this amazing culture and I pray that I continue to learn of its history and development through this entertaining channel
Thanks for the videos about Japanese folklore! I’ve been into it since I was a kid. I had relatives living in Japan who sent me a book series from the Kodansha English Library called Once Upon A Time In Japan. I loved the stories so much I told them to other kids on camping trips. I would love to hear about some of your favorite folktales. It may be worth doing a review of the series- I don’t think anyone else on RUclips has done that, at least from a couple cursory searches in English.
I'd like to hear Shogo run through some of the more famous yokai and yurei stories. Particularly any that are specific to the Kyoto region
Onryo are my favorite of Japanese stories. I think the distinction between the three yurei you've mentioned is that obake are ghosts that hit the uncanny valley hard, mononoke are spirits with grievances against indirect slights, and onryo are spirits who've returned to settle a score between them and the person who directly wronged them. Also, I'd like to thank Ghostwire Tokyo for helping me find the distinction between Yokai and Yurei, and of course you as well, Shogo.
My favorite yurei in anime and manga “Sai” from “Hikaru no Go”
NATSUME YUUJINCHOU. YEEEESS.
I had somehow guessed that Yokai and Yurei were very different. So Ayakashii is more Yokai? I heard that Kyoto is the centre of Ayakashii and Onmyouji in the past.
I've been wondering what ayakashi are, as well. I was hoping it would be explained in the video...
Yesss someone who also knows about Natsume Yuujinchou!
@@Meimoons Comrade!! *^*
Thank you so much, Because of you're burning passion and desire to share Japan to us, Watching you're video makes me feel like im being toured to Japan 😊💖 Honto ni Arigato 😊💖
I’ve just found your channel and now I’m binge watching all your videos 💜💜💜💜💜🇬🇧🇬🇧💜💜💜💜💜
Same, i discovered his Chanel 4 months ago and I've been obsessed with his content 🇩🇰 🇩🇰
Hey
Some of my favorite anime explore both Yurei and Yokai: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Yu Yu Hakusho. Great video!
Congratulations for the 100k subs!
Love the simple explanation of this subject,great video!
Just sent off my Bachelors Thesis that describes the influences of Kaidan and Yūrei (and western horror elements) in Suzuki Kōjis Ringu and then you come along with this video.
これは吉兆でしょう。ありがとうございますよ^^
That is the coolest thesis topic ever. うらやましい！
Already 100k wow 😳 congrats!
Very cool video on an interesting topic.
So... what (who) is your favorite YOKAI, everyone?
Tengu! 👺
Hmm... I’ll go with the ぬらりひょん Nura😎
I’ve always liked Kappa myself. 河童
(Cute or sinister, depending on the portrayal.)
Rokurokubi!
@@16shokushu Hey, so where is your web comic about Yokai? (It sounds like something I’d be interested in.) I was GOING to subscribe to your channel for that...but no content yet! 😆
I always translated yokai as "traditional folklore monsters". You know like the boogieman or something like that.
Also one of my pet peeves is when they translate Oni as demons, when it's actually Ogre that fits the best.
Ogre doesn't really fit Imo. Oni are the in-between of Demons and Ogres. Cuz they're not just clumsy Ogres. They're pretty demonic and smart. That's why they created the 魔 Kanji, to define the Magical Evil of Oni.
No, it actually is demons that fit and the most common depictions just tend to be the kanabo-wielding ogres. It's really hard to tell sometimes, but there are various yokai that can also be considered oni. For instance, amanojaku (Whom I'm sure you know about because of the Ghost Stories dub) is considered a type of oni. What I want to know is what pigeonholes a yokai as specifically an oni. At best what I can tell is that oni are creatures that tend to be native to one of the Buddhist hells, but can appear in the human realm if an especially evil person turns into one.
@@blackknightjack3850
Demons are more about pure evil and corruption, oni, while savage are more like wild beasts and you can sort of come to an accord with them that will allow you to coexist, their entire reason for being isn't literally making you suffer or bringing you down from the path of virtue in some way.
And no, I know of Amanojyaku from Urotsukidouji, I am a man of culture.
Another great video about a fascinating topic.
Rokuro-kubi I see that it was the inspiration of that one teacher in Little nightmares. She's terrifying
I love reading about Youkai, they are just amazing and entertaining, Also I enjoyed drawing some of them as an Inktober challenge back in 2018
I would love to do it again
You forgot the O in Youkai.
@@danielantony1882 Oh thank you
Such a fun video! InuYasha is one of my favorite anime and is what made me fall in love with yokai and Japanese folklore and monsters. 🐶
Thank You very much, Shogo-san... Allways enlightning on your videos. I enjoyed this chapter very much. Greetings from Chile
Folklore has been my jam for years but I have just started to study folklore from different Asian countries so thanks so much for the primer on Japanese spirits and creatures, even getting down to the etymology that has so much to do with the understanding of it all. You rock :)
after joining Touhou fandom for 8 months, finally i understand Youkai history and what are they after watching your video, thank you shogo!
Another great video!! But like others who've commented, it'd be nice to see a second part with Ayakashi, Yasha/ Yaksha and others that aren't mentioned as much.
Never heard about Yasha and Yaksha tbh.
Hi shogo, I'm a 1st time watcher but long time japan fan. I think with English translation spirit is the closest term they have for being of supernatural nature. Because demons of western culture tilt towards heavy western Christianity after being close minded for centuries in past even non believers today we may not recognise them as
demons. However early west paganism had spirits such as elves who were a form of forest spirit, not human, not dead and not divine (angel type being. As a nihongo beginner u quickly notice English is kind of broad speaking and lacks one word a particular thing/situation. Anyway I think I rambled. Continue to look forward to ur videos.
Spirit is Seirei though.
I love your channel. Your personality and presentation skills will guarantee a million subscribers soon
This video is super helpful. Thank you so much for making it!
You are becoming my favorite channel, I so wish I knew about your channel when I lived in Japan
This video is EXACTLY what I was looking for.
Thank you very much.
The yurei vs onryu reminds me of the ghost vs. wraith distinction, where as a ghost is a generalized term for a disembodied soul or spirit, a wraith is specifically a malicious ghost.
Except, a disembodied spirit is called ikiryo or shoryo or ikisodama, depend on variables.. :')
Yurei vs onryo is like, footwear vs boots and outerwear vs sweater and vehicle vs car..
i enjoy how you change your pronunciation of yokai depending on whether you are speaking japanese or english, very nice
The way shogo explains it so smoothly..! I love you shogo please make more videos about Japan!
That list of yokai you gave really reminded me of the game Nioh, as all seven of them are in Nioh. I guess because those yokai myths are common in old Japan, and that is what that game focuses on.
Great video! I’ve learnt more about yokai & yurei thanks to your video😄 I find yokai so interesting!
I love you and your vids. Thank you
ありがとうございます。おもしろかったです。
i always loved the way shogo-san explained things.He should be a culture ambassador
how about "bakemono" or "kemono" ? what's the different between them and yuurei/youkai?
化け物= Bakemono, means something like a monster
獣= Kemono, means a real beast, that can be a Lion or a bear, a real animal, a predator
If I'm correct, I believe that "Bakemono" essentially means "shape shifter", therefore the difference could be that Bakemono appear or disguise themselves as people, but have a hidden creature body.. Perhaps.
@@gyounce1 alright i understand it, thank you so much
@@Luqi_ No problem.
@@gyounce1 Bakemono is often treated as an umbrella term to describe the yokai that can shapeshift. So, things like kitsune, tanuki, bakeneko, and the like would be considered yokai, but also bakemono. Though I've also heard this be contested as untrue, so it's hard to be certain how accurate it is.
I like your talking. Clear, essential and interesting. Thank you and go on like this.
Fantastic video! I always learn a lot from your channel
I would love it if you covered more videos like this! ♥️♥️♥️
Heres a great idea for you! Make a video about lets say 5-10 actual animes..you teach how to pronounce the name of anime...pronounce characters..places..names of objects..etc etc will be highly visited and liked😆👌
Love this video! Looking forward to learning more in your others.
I wrote an essay about this topic in addition to some other things, and I wish I would've found this video before I submitted it because I feel like I learned a lot more about the topic that I could've clarified in my essay.
No way! I kinda knew yokai was in a way a genre of it's own regarding mythology but I'm thrilled to hear I fit the description as well! It's so nice to fit in 😊
I'm just kidding of course but my name really is Chimera.
I remember watching the grudge movies it still scares me till this Day😂 i am learning alot from you're video's ✌️😁 Mutch respect from oranda 🇳🇱!!!
Personally I translated them as Yurei is a Spiritual Body and Yokai is a Monster with physical body .
Thank you for your wonderful explanation they are more clear to me now .
thanks for the informative video !
I had no idea! VERY interesting! Thanks for the lesson, Shogo!
It's embarrassing how excited I got when Nurarihyon no Mago was mentioned. It's what introduced me to Yokai and Japanese folklore in the first place, so it's always nice hearing people still mention it.
This was so interesting. Thank you!⛩
ive been getting into japanese folklore and you explain things so well!!! thank you
Dude I waited so long for this😍😍😍😍😍
This one is really nice, specially because it seems many Japanese people are not quite sure of the difference themselves. When I was growing up, my Obachan and Ojichan (my mother's parents) would tell me stories about yurei: the ghost of a woman whose neck would stretch forever. Now I know that's not a yurei. Thank you.
Well... she's sort of both. I would classify that she's a yurei that became a yokai. But not the other way around.
I just started playing through Nioh again and all of your examples of yokai are included in this game.
When I saw the title of this video, somehow my mind instantly went to think about the Shuten-Doji and his fight against Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Fascinating story that was.
I really enjoyed this video Sensai, but I have a question for you: do tanuki, and kitsune with their powers also fall under the category of yokai or do they fall under another category? If they are yokai would they be considered obake?
Kitsune and tanuki are yokai, I'd say they're magical/supernatural animals.
Thanks for the heart.
Some animals that live many years, surpassed their natural lifespan, will turn into youkai. Tanuki and kitsune would be in that category. In my country, we have the same folktales.
@@miyako1909 Your username is Miyako, like that Jiangshi. You spell "Yokai" with an additional "u".
*_FELLOW GENSOKYAN?!_*
@@miyako1909 you say in your country, what country is that? You also say same kind of folktales are you referring to the the kitsune and tanuki specifically or just magical animals?
3:57/16:26 that's the cutest representation of yukionna I've ever seen! She looks so mischievous!
Oh man, my favourite yokai must be that umbrella with a foot and an eye. It's really funny to me that an umbrella with feet exists
15:23 huh, so that's why Lightside/Shadowside Jibanyan is a Mononoke Tribe
Very informative! Never knew this, thank you
So well presented ❤ i really learned something from you today 🙏
A very interesting video!
I always thought that Yokai and Yurai are the same, but thanks to you i know that better now=)
Very useful, Shogo. Thank you. Gladly liked and shared.
Thank you very much for the interesting and informative video! I love Inuyasha, Fukigenna Mononokean, and Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi. Soooooooo many Youkai!!!😁💖👍
Kayako from the movie Ju-On The Grudge is an 怨霊 。
As a kid it was mosty obakemono,for haunts or ghosts and you would run a cross a bridge quick so the kapa didn't get you! great video very well done!
Awesome topic!! Another great video ❤️
This is great, now tell me the difference between bourei and yurei
you should make reference to 幽遊白書
Great video, thank you!
ooohhhh thank you for the lesson sensei!
That is really lesson, and you are right, Idid appreciate anime more and their concept. As i study Japanese, I have to agree, some translations are just really lost in what is correctly being said.
1:55 This was… unexpected…
Great video a lot of ppl needed this