'Two Women in a Gusty Autumn Landscape' from the series 'The Six Immortal Poets' - Katsukawa Shunsho, ca. 1771. From the Art Institute of Chicago collection. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

'Bird and Autumn Flowers' - Utagawa Hiroshige II, ca. late 1860s. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

Three-panel Japanese woodblock print, 'Gathering Mushrooms in Autumn' - Utagawa Kunisada, ca. 1844. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

What is your favourite bird? These little sparrows are a detail of a two-fold painted and embroidered screen by Takeuchi Seihō.

The akugyo (悪魚) has the head and arms of a woman and breathes fire, a malevolent Japanese mermaid who ensnares the ships of sailors in rocks and then breaks the ship, devouring them. Japanese lords have tried to take her down, and failed. #WyrdWednesday 🖼: Sabnock_

Few know that the elegant Eight Pieces of Brocade (八段錦) qigong once wove together martial grace and artistic refinement. Originating over a thousand years ago and practiced in imperial palaces, its eight flowing movements were inspired by embroidery patterns, #art #sport

For the witch, there are times when the river becomes a fluid scrying, a constant flow of omens. It's tutelary spirit whispers wisdom in her ears, its magics ripple across her psychic skin. She becomes one with its shaping song. – #EmilyCBanting, 1982 #WitchSky

A fox jumping over a tomb, jumping over the moon. If you are lucky enough to witness such an event, you may choose to whisper important news to the fox: the passing of a loved one, the birth of a child, the fall of tyrants. The news will be passed on to the clan #FullMoon #FoxMoon #SuperMoon🦊🐾🌕

Today I learnt about a three-legged, one-eyed shapeshifting kitsune ( #yokai fox) known as Otora gitsune who possesses humans and talks about its wartime experiences. Those possessed suffer from discharge from their left eye, an aching left leg, and they recount... 1/2 🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com

In honour of tonight's gorgeous full moon, here is one of my favourite Japanese prints 'Bat Before the Moon' by Biho Takashi (1910). #JapaneseArt #FullMoon

This Japanese ukiyo-e print by Utagawa Kunisada is from a series depicting chapters from The Tale of Genji and is titled 'Chapter 52, Kagero' and dated 1854. It depicts Prince Genji and two small children on the night of a full moon which can be seen in the sky. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe #FullMoon

'Moon and Lake Biwa' from the series 'The Scenic Places of Tokaido' - Utagawa Yoshitsuya, 1863. #FullMoon #ukiyoe #JapaneseArt

'Monkey and Moon' - Ohara Koson, ca. 1910. #FullMoon #shinhanga #JapaneseArt

'Two Rabbits in the Moonlight' - Imao Keinen, ca. 1930s. #FullMoon #shinhanga #JapaneseArt

'Hares and Autumn Full Moon' - Suzuki Harunobu, Japanese Edo period. #FullMoon #tsukimi #JapaneseArt

'Moon over Sekiguchi' - Takahashi Hiroaki, ca. 1930s. #FullMoon #JapaneseArt

#WyrdWednesday 🔥

#WyrdWednesday 🔥

'Hiranoya' - Nishijima Katsuyuki, ca. 1990s. #ToriiTuesday #JapaneseArt

Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. #ToriiTuesday #Shinto

Nezu Jinja, Tokyo. #ToriiTuesday #Shinto #Japan

If you are near a body of water near Obon in Japan, and you see mists on the water, don't wait for it to get closer. This is a Funayūrei, a Ghost Ship in the fog, full of resentful drowned sailors and prepared for you to join their crew. #MythologyMonday 🖼: M. Meyer

🍁FOR THE SALVATION OF WOMEN✨ Until recently women were forbidden from setting foot on holy Mt Hiei, confined to pray from afar. A statue decided to take matters into its own hands so that the women of Kyōto had somewhere to worship. Each November 15th this statue is celebrated. #Hieizan #比叡山 #Kyoto

🖌️CULTURE DAY🎎 November 3rd, 'Bunka-no-hi' (文化の日), is a national holiday in Japan. It's a day for promoting culture, the arts, and academic pursuits. 'Culture Day' was created in 1948 to commemorate the announcement of the post-war Japanese constitution. #文化の日 #Japan

Did you miss any stories from "Shokoku hyakumonogatari" during A-Yokai-A-Day between 2022-2025? I've compiled an index featuring all 100 stories here: matthewmeyer.net/blog/2025/11... 👹⛩️👻⛩️👺 Just be careful you don't accidentally summon a real yokai when reading them!

'Owl and Chestnut' - Ohara Koson, 1934. #OwlishMonday #JapaneseArt

Hahakigami (broom spirits) are a type of #yokai that occur once a broom has reached a very old age and is transformed into (or possessed by) a spirit, known as tsukumogami. Because brooms were used in ritual purifications, they can become powerful magical charms. #MythologyMonday 1/2

In #JapaneseFolklore there is a giant crab #yokai known as kanibozu. These creatures take on the form of priests and move into empty temples. If a new priest arrives to lead the temple the kanibozu demands they answer a riddle & if they can't solve it, they get eaten. #MythologyMonday 🎨Matthew Meyer

'Two Owls' - Yoshida Toshi, 1970. #OwlishMonday #JapaneseArt

'Sekiyado' - Takahashi Hiroaki, 1927. #JapaneseArt #shinhanga

'Action (2)' - Ono Tadashige, 2005. #Caturday #JapaneseArt

'Blue Bird in Autumn' - Ito Sozan, ca. 1910's. #JapaneseArt #shinhanga

Happy Halloween 🎃

🐁🐶🐄🐰🐒🐍THE ZODIAC PILGRIMAGE🐅🐉🐗🐎🐓🐐 In the Chinese Zodiac 2026 will be the 'Year of the Fire Horse' (written as '馬', '马' or '午'), aka the 'Red Horse Year' (赤馬年). Kyōto has a special pilgrimage made up of 12 religious sites dedicated to the 12 animals found in the zodiac. #Kyoto #京都 #zodiac

It's #Halloween, yokai lovers! That means the final story of A-Yokai-A-Day 2025! I hope you've all enjoyed this year's batch. (And don't forget, it's the last night to back my Kickstarter! Don't miss out on my latest book!) Read tonight's spooky tale below: www.patreon.com/posts/yokai-...

In this Chinese #painting, the Three Great Emperors, Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials, glide through the realms they govern, each in a qilin-drawn carriage, flanked by a lion and a dragon. These beasts echo their cosmic dominion: heaven, earth, and water.1/2 #mythology

Less than 48 hours left on my #Kickstarter, folks! Don't miss out on this amazing book of never-before-seen folklore from Old Fukui! Become a backer below, and have your name printed and memorialized forever in the book!

'The Great Buddha at Kamakura (Kamakura daibutsu)' - Kawase Hasui, 1930. #JapaneseArt #shinhanga

'Green Dragon Emerging from Black Swirl' - Kohusai, Japanese Edo period, from the Harvard Art Museum collection. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe #dragon

'Snake and Lizard' - Kitagawa Utamaro, 1788. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

Kawase Hasui - Pier at Otaru #ShinHanga #Woodblock #Print #JapaneseArt #Ukiyo-e

Cruel and savage, the spider-bull called the Ushi Oni is native to Western Japan, a monster of considerable strength and destructive tendencies. They are often partners of more cunning spirits, who lure humans to the Ushi Oni for the kill. #WyrdWednesday 🖼️: M. Meyer

Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Japan so for #LegendaryWednesday I thought instead I'd share my latest article about momijigari, which means autumn leaf viewing. It includes a traditional tale, yokai, photographs, and art and poetry inspired by autumn. open.substack.com/pub/curiouso...

Nopperabo is a strange supernatural phenomenon from #JapaneseFolklore. This yokai appears just like any normal human, but it is far from ordinary because it has no face. Generally nopperabo aim to scare unsuspecting victims out of their wits. They lurk... #WyrdWednesday 🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com 1/4

Re-sharing one of my favourite #yokai for #WyrdWednesday and the spooky season.

In #JapaneseFolklore nando baba is the storeroom hag who lurks inside closets. Appearing as a ragged old woman this #yokai is fairly harmless but is known to leap out screaming and chase you. It seems the best defence is to hit her over the head with a... #WyrdWednesday 🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com 1/2

In #JapaneseFolklore tanuki are a shapeshifting #yokai with a special talent involving their magical expanding scrotums. #Ukiyoe artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicted them in a series of prints that are perfect for today's #WyrdWednesday. And these are just the tip of the tanuki testicle iceberg. 1/2

In Japanese mythology the food goddess Ukemochi invited the moon god Tsukuyomi to a special feast. When he arrived, the goddess produced the food for the meal from her body. She vomited up the fish, meat and rice. She then pulled even more food from her nose and rectum. Rather... #WyrdWednesday 1/3