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Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide [Paperback]

Hiroko Yoda , Matt Alt , Tatsuya Morino
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)


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Book Description

October 1, 2008
Yokai are Japan's traditional creepy-crawlies. Almost always encountered in the dark of night, they were once feared throughout the land. But they're more than just myth, more provocative than pop culture--references to yokai abound in Japanese idioms, and nearly every Japanese person has at least a passing knowledge of the most famous of these captivating creatures from times of old. Now, after collecting data and descriptions from a variety of sources, including first-hand accounts and microfilms of 18th-century publications stored in the National Diet Library in Tokyo, authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have produced the first English-language guide to Japans yokai monsters. Original illustrations, created by the talented Tatsuya Morino, detail the potential visible appearance of each yokai. And alongside each and every one are data points allowing you to take in each yokai's characteristics at a glance.
Forget Godzilla. Forget the giant beasties karate-chopped into oblivion by endless incarnations of Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Forget the Pocket Monsters. Forget Sadako from The Ring and that creepy all-white kid from The Grudge. Forget everything you know about Japanese tales of terror. Their roots may extend back to days of yore, but Yokai Attack! will convince any reader that Japan's bewitching tradition of yokai monsters is far from being history.


Editorial Reviews

Review

"Yokai Attack! is essential reading for any fan of monsters, horror and manga!" - Steve Niles, Creator, 30 Days of Night "An invaluable resource for anyone interested in J-Horror and Japanese culture; gave me a deeper understanding of what I've been enjoying for so many years." - Don Coscarelli, director, "Phantasm" series and Bubba Ho-tep"

About the Author


Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt are a husband and wife team who run a Tokyo-based translation company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books and literature. Alt is the co-author of Super #1 Robot (2005), a detailed photo-history of 1970s Japanese robot toys. Alt and Yoda are also co-authors of Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters From Japan (2007), a book about Japanese cute character culture. They also happen to have firsthand yokai experience, having appeared as extras in the Takashi Miike film The Great Yokai War (2005).
Illustrator Tatsuya Morino became the assistant to Shigeru Mizuki, one of Japans most beloved manga artists, when he was fresh out of high school. After going independent, he illustrated the graphic novel Kibakichi, which was turned into a pair of successful movies of the same name. He also works as a character designer, with credits including the Gainax video game Yokai Family and the web comic Trip Trek. His comic Legentail Sennenta is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shotens monthly comic collection Kero Kero Ace.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Kodansha USA (October 1, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 4770030703
  • ISBN-13: 978-4770030702
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When's the last time you asked yourself, "Gee, how do I keep my home safe from the Bathtub Licker?" Not recently, you say? And yet to a Japanese child, the mention of the name "Akaname" evokes the image of a large, red demonlike creature with a long tongue and glaring eyes, that hides in the bathroom at night. Aren't you glad you were warned? Then thank your lucky stars you're buying Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide.

Each of the more than 50 detailed descriptions provide everything you'll need when faced with one of these legendary Japanese monsters. The first page of each entry is the "Stats Sheet" page, containing vital information such as monster height, weight, mode of locomotion, and any special abilities, as well as a full page color image (by talented illustrator Tatsuya Morino) of the yokai in question. The pages following contain information on the type of threat each yokai represents (whether it be just a scare, or a definitely-to-be-avoided disembowelment), as well as any defensive measures that can be taken, origin stories, typical location where found, regional variants of the monster, in addition to stories, facts, and legends surrounding that creature and its habits. Truly, the amount of information contained for each yokai is substantial, and will undoubtedly prove crucial to the would-be yokai hunter (or as often as not, the "yokai hunted").

The authors have made on-the-go referencing easier as well (very important when you're not sure if you're facing a Kuchisaki Onna or a Futakuchi Onna!) by separating yokai into groupings by type, from the ferocious to the feeble. What's more, each grouping has its own tab for flip-through ease, very convenient when you're running away from a creature at close to a full-out sprint!

In my own time in Japan, I myself came across a number of the creatures described in this book, and can attest to the efficacy of at least a few of the defense techniques described therein. I can only say I wish I had had this handbook with me at the time, and that I will certainly be bringing it with me on any future excursions.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Laura I
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
This is a really fun book, even better than I would have expected. The book is about the size of a manga and is full color inside. The illustrations are excellent and is just so much fun to read, after reading a couple pages about one monster, you want to check out the next, as they just get more and more bizarre and entertaining!

I've been watching animes and reading mangas for many years now and I've noticed some of the same strange monsters showing up over and over again. I was intrigued and wanted to know more about them, since I'm interested in folklore in general and Japan seems to have a very rich monster mythology. If you've watched animes like Inuyasha, Devil Man or Blood Reign, then you've already seen a few of the yokai featured in this book already. But as familiar as I *thought* I was with Japanese monsters, probably 80% of these I've never heard of before and it was a delight to learn more!

Each yokai is given specifications such as: height, weight, attack and defense. Also includes a wonderfully drawn illustration and if available, traditional Japanese illustrations (such as a 19th century woodblock print). As well as the Japanese name, English translation, and (very helpful) pronunciation of the Japanese name.

So if you've ever wanted to learn more about Japanese monsters, here's the perfect guide! Everything you ever wanted to know, from the standard bakemono to the bizarre Tofu Boy.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Night parade of 100 demons September 24, 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Japan is a monster country. While other countries may have their vampires and wolfmen, their unseelie courts and ogres and giants, Japan is home to a traditional eight million different varieties of spooks and lurkers in the dark. Japanese children obsess on them and memorize them the way American children do dinosaurs, and you would be hard-pressed to find a child without at least one of the ubiquitous tomes detailing their haunting places and special attributes.

"Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide" (subtitled "A survival guide for foreigners", although this is only subtly written in Japanese), is one of the few books available on this traditional aspect of Japanese culture. Emulating such books as The Zombie Survival Guide, it takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to the bizarre menagerie. It acts like a video game guide, giving statistics such as height, weight, favorite food, method of attack, surviving an encounter, etc...A total of forty-six yokai get the treatment, from the famous beasties like the kappa and tengu, to the lesser-knowns like the dorotabo and the hashi hime.

This is very much a "flipping book", not to be read in one sitting but going through checking out the yokai who catch one's eye. Every entry is accompanied by an illustration, by Morino Tatsuya. Morino was an assistant to the yokai-master Mizuki Shigeru, and while his ability is not at Mizuki's level he does a good job with the style. All of the illustrations are in color, and are often accompanied by older artwork such as ukiyo-e prints and toys featuring the various yokai.

When reading this book, I was of two minds. One the one hand, it is pretty cool to have an English-language introduction to yokai in any form. One the other hand, I would have been so much better to simply translate any of Mizuki Shigeru's numerous beautiful and authentic books dealing with the subject. The idea of a "survival guide" works great when dealing with a familiar topic like zombies, but seeing as how most Westerners would be unfamiliar with yokai a more straight forward book might have been better.

People just looking for a fun and casual book will find this a treasure, however. Yokai appear quite often in Japanese video games and anime, and this kind of book would be a perfect resource to those who want to learn a little bit more about what they are seeing. It would also be a great guide book for role playing gamers who want to introduce a Japanese flavor to their campaigns.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A very fun read.
A great addition to any manga fan or paranormal fan's library. Funny, informative, and a bit chilling at times, I often return to this book when I want something imaginative to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by L. S. Drake
4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and Quirky Guide to Japanese Monsters
This book gives you a brief run down on a range of Japanese monsters (known collectively as yokai). You'll get all the essential information to help you survive, or avoid, an... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Jacob
5.0 out of 5 stars Amusing and Educational!
If you're looking for exposure to a bunch of common yokai, this is a fun read! It's small enough that it's not imposing and it's informative! Read more
Published on March 5, 2011 by Jessica R. Lanphear
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, funny and fantastic.
This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in the more esoteric and strange facets of Japanese culture. Read more
Published on February 18, 2011 by Jesse D. Watson
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book detailing Japanese monsters
We love this book. My kids always look at the pictures and are interested in the back stories of all the yokai. This is a great reference book for the Japanese monster lover. Read more
Published on September 22, 2010 by B. Simmons
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!
I purchased this book for my daughter who is really interested in anything Japanese and, as she was reading it in the car and telling me about it, I decided to look at it later,... Read more
Published on March 10, 2010 by Cheryl M. Sullivan
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome FREAKIN BOOK! Read it in one sitting
P157 Nopperabo-like mujina Hawaiian urban legend believed to date to 1959 describes a par of faceless women combing their hair in the restroom of a popular movie theater. Read more
Published on January 12, 2010 by ptosis
2.0 out of 5 stars Lacking
Although it is a very good and informative book it fails to capitolize on some of the more famous Yokai in the Japanese mythologies. Read more
Published on December 17, 2009 by Tyche
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok for knowledge on japanese folklore
This book depicts exactly what the title suggest. It is basically a collaboration of stories that are known throughout Japan. Read more
Published on October 9, 2009 by Charsya Paul
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic guide for basic Japanese demonology!
I bought this book because I've been looking to learn more about Japanese yokai (demons, spirits, gods, etc), and it's pretty hard to find it all in one book that's not 800 pages... Read more
Published on August 8, 2009 by Laura
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