POP YOKAI: Contemporary Hyakki Yagyō — Contemporary Character Art of Japan

The Yōkai Art Museum will host the special exhibition “POP YOKAI Exhibition” to commemorate the first anniversary of the publication of the book POP YOKAI: Contemporary Character Art of Japan.

The exhibition presents approximately 100 sculptural works of yōkai created in the modern era and will be held in two phases. The first phase runs from December 26, 2025, to May 28, 2026, followed by the second phase from May 29, 2026, to November 30, 2026. Through three-dimensional artworks, panel displays, original illustrations, and interactive programs, the exhibition highlights the enduring appeal of yōkai culture and its continuous reinterpretation in contemporary Japan.

Exhibition Highlights

Contemporary Yōkai Sculptures: A Modern Hyakki Yagyo (the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)

Approximately 100 yōkai sculptures featured in the book POP YOKAI will be exhibited across the two exhibition periods. All works are newly created yōkai by contemporary artists and are accompanied by scholarly commentary from yōkai researcher Masanobu Kagawa. The exhibition evokes a modern-day Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) and includes many past award-winning works from the Yōkai Sculpture Awards.

Panel Displays: The Origins and Evolution of Yokai

Panel exhibitions explain how yōkai emerged and evolved into the present day, based on the introductory essay “From Monsters to Pokémon: How Japanese People Play with Yokai” by Masanobu Kagawa, the supervising editor of POP YOKAI.

Original Illustrations: Yokai Legends of Kagawa

Original artwork by yōkai artist Chubei Yagyu, who also serves as museum director, presents yōkai legends connected to Kagawa Prefecture. These include yōkai such as Kaboso and Gosenbo from Shodoshima, Hage-tanuki from Yashima, Ushi-oni from Negoro-ji Temple, and Daidarabotchi.

Audio Guide Program: POP YOKAI Audition

An interactive program titled “POP YOKAI Audition” allows visitors to vote for their favourite yōkai among the exhibited works using an audio guide. Visitors are encouraged to select their “favorite yōkai” based on criteria such as design, narrative appeal, cuteness, or eeriness. The results will be announced at a later date on the Yōkai Art Museum’s official X account.

The museum shop features exclusive POP YOKAI merchandise. Admission to the exhibition is included with the general museum admission.

About the Book POP YOKAI: Contemporary Character Art of Japan was released on September 18, 2024. Published by Rockbook SAS (France), this bilingual (Japanese–English) volume presents contemporary yōkai character art in a B5-format book spanning 208 pages. The book is authored by the Yōkai Art Museum and supervised by yōkai researcher Masanobu Kagawa, with translation and English supervision by Cathy Hirano.