POP YOKAI: Contemporary Hyakki Yagyo - Contemporary Character Art of Japan

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

Exhibition Highlights

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

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

Panel Displays: The Origins and Evolution of Yokai

Panel exhibitions explain how yokai 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 yokai artist Chubei Yagyu, who also serves as museum director, presents yokai legends connected to Kagawa Prefecture. These include yokai 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 yokai among the exhibited works using an audio guide. Visitors are encouraged to select their “favorite yokai” based on criteria such as design, narrative appeal, cuteness, or eeriness. The results will be announced at a later date on the Yokai 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 18 September 2024. Published by Rockbook SAS (France), this bilingual (Japanese-English) volume presents contemporary yokai character art in a B5-format book spanning 208 pages. The book is authored by the Yokai Art Museum and supervised by yokai researcher Masanobu Kagawa, with translation and English supervision by Cathy Hirano.