Don't be caught off guard when the yokai attack, read "Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide"

by Chris MaGee

At the end of July we told you about the two day World Yokai Conference that took place at Toei Movie Land in Kyoto between August 23rd and 24th. For the uninitiated the yokai are the inhabitants of the Japanese spirit world, some of the just mischievous, others downright dangerous. If you've seen Takashi Miike's "The Great Yokai War", Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" or even the obscure 1968 epic "Yôkai daisensô (Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare)" directed by Yoshiyuki Kuroda (above) then you've already been introduced the the Japanese equivalent of goblins, elves and sprites; but maybe you want to get to know these otherworldly creatures better.

If that's the case then head over to SciFi Japan. They have news on a new English language guide titled "Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide" as well as an interview with its authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt. From the frog-like kappa with its plate of water on its head to the possessed umbrella Kara-kasa and even the Kirin dragon on your bottle of Kirin Lager "Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide" will prepare you for any and every encounter you may have with these spirits, even if it's just at the movies.