In Japanese, the word yōkai refers to supernatural creatures that exist in the country’s folklore. According to photographer Charles Fréger, it “does not mean ‘monster’ in the strict sense of the word. It refers generally to the imaginary creatures which populate Japanese culture. They may be ghosts as well as demons, or even objects.”
Fréger’s book Yokainoshima: Island of Monster provides a photographic guide to the participants and rituals of local festivals. In the Kagoshima Prefecture, for example, he photographed individuals dressed as a garappa, a version of the water spirit the kappa, shown here in the first photo.
For more information about these yōkai and Charles Fréger’s book, go here: http://trib.al/ZYXul92