Hyakkai Zukan: Unrolling the Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Demons
When travelers think of Japan, images of cherry blossoms, neon-lit Tokyo streets, and serene temples often come to mind. However, beneath the polite surface of Japanese culture lies a shadowy, chaotic, and utterly fascinating world: the realm of the yōkai. Central to our visual understanding of these supernatural entities is a pivotal 18th-century work known as the Hyakkai Zukan (百怪図巻), or “The Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Demons.”
For the culture-seeking tourist or the folklore enthusiast, understanding this scroll is key to decoding the ghosts and monsters that populate everything from ancient shrines to modern anime. Let’s unroll the history of this masterpiece.
Origins: The Encyclopedia of Fear
The Hyakkai Zukan was completed in 1737 (the 2nd year of the Genbun era) by the artist Sawaki Suushi. While not as historically famous as Hokusai or Hiroshige, Suushi’s contribution to Japanese folklore is immeasurable. During the Edo period, Japan experienced a cultural boom where ghost stories (kaidan) became a popular form of entertainment rather than just cautionary religious tales.
Before this scroll, yōkai were often depicted in chaotic “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons” (Hyakki Yagyō) scrolls, where the creatures were a jumbled mass of terror. Sawaki Suushi took a different approach. He acted as a supernatural taxonomist, painting each monster individually or in distinct groups, labeling them clearly. This effectively created an encyclopedia of monsters, standardizing how many of these creatures looked. His work laid the foundation for later artists, most notably Toriyama Sekien, who would go on to popularize yōkai culture even further.
Legend: The Creatures Within
The Hyakkai Zukan is a parade of the grotesque, the humorous, and the terrifying. The art style is vibrant, using the traditional emakimono (picture scroll) format. But who—or what—lives inside this scroll?
The Nurarihyon
One of the most enigmatic figures depicted is the Nurarihyon. Often drawn as an old man with an elongated, gourd-shaped head and wearing fine robes, he is sometimes referred to as the “Leader of the Yōkai.” In folklore, he is a slippery character who sneaks into houses while the owners are away, drinking their tea and acting as if he owns the place. Suushi’s depiction of him remains the standard image used today.
The Rokurokubi
Another famous resident of the scroll is the Rokurokubi. At first glance, she appears to be a normal woman wearing a kimono. However, the scroll depicts her true nature: her neck stretches to an impossible length, allowing her head to roam freely, spooking humans or licking up lamp oil.
The High-Spirited and the Horrifying
The scroll also features the Kappa (water imp), the one-eyed Hitotsume-kozō, and the terrifying Uwan, a disembodied voice that inhabits abandoned temples. Suushi captured not just their fear factor, but their personalities, giving them a physical form that cemented them in the Japanese imagination.
Modern Culture: From Scrolls to Screens
If the monsters in the Hyakkai Zukan look familiar to you, there is a reason. The designs established in this 1737 scroll are the direct ancestors of the monsters seen in contemporary Japanese pop culture.
- Anime and Manga: The aesthetic of the yōkai in series like GeGeGe no Kitarō, Natsume’s Book of Friends, and even Demon Slayer owes a debt to Suushi’s visualizations.
- Gaming: The globally massive franchise Pokémon draws heavily from yōkai folklore. Furthermore, the video game series Yo-Kai Watch features creatures that are modernized, cute versions of the exact monsters depicted in the Hyakkai Zukan.
- Studio Ghibli: The parade of spirits in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is a cinematic homage to the tradition of the Night Parade, populated by beings that would feel right at home in Suushi’s scroll.
Traveler’s Tips: Seeking the Supernatural
If you want to experience the world of the Hyakkai Zukan on your next trip to Japan, here are a few recommendations:
- Miyoshi Mononoke Museum (Hiroshima Pref.): This is Japan’s first museum dedicated entirely to yōkai. They house a vast collection of scrolls and artifacts, often sourced from the collection of Yumoto Koichi, a premier yōkai researcher.
- Yokai Street (Kyoto): Located on Ichijo-dori, this street is said to be the path of the original Night Parade. Today, shop owners display homemade yōkai statues outside their stores, creating a fun, photo-worthy atmosphere.
- The Fukuoka City Museum: This museum occasionally displays scrolls and artifacts related to regional ghost stories and the Hyakkai Zukan lineage.
Sources & Further Reading
To deepen your understanding of the mythology behind the scroll, consider exploring these foundational texts:
- The Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters): For the Shinto origins of Japan’s spirits and gods.
- The Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan): Providing historical context to the supernatural beliefs of early Japan.
- Gazu Hyakki Yagyō (The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons): Toriyama Sekien’s 1776 work, which expanded on Suushi’s earlier scroll.
- Yōkai Attack!: A modern guide by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt that is excellent for beginners.
The Hyakkai Zukan is more than just an old painting; it is a catalog of human fears and imagination that continues to breathe life into Japanese culture today.