Nurikabe / Otoroshi

These are some of the youkai (mythical creatures) that I drew for a children's youkai maze book that I published in Japan. The book was intended for children, but looking back at these illustrations now, I wonder if I made them too scary...

Youkai seem to have always been a part of Japanese culture. I believe their physical appearance and the tales surrounding them offer a richly candid peek into the psychology of the people who populated ancient Japan. Personally, I can't help but find their terrifying appearance quite endearing.

日本で出した、妖怪めいろ絵本に出てくる妖怪たちです。
子供向けの本のはずなんですが、なんだか今見直すと、怖すぎるかもしれない…

妖怪自体は、土着的な存在です。
彼らの姿や物語からは、昔の日本の人々が、何を思い暮らしていたのかが色濃く投影されています。
私は、恐ろしい外見の彼らたちを愛しく思います。

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