04:34Kyoto's Uzumasa Film Village welcomed hundreds of attendees dressed as traditional Japanese yokai as the Kaikai Yokai Festival launched on Sunday.
Footage from the event shows festival-goers in elaborate costumes and live performances by dancers celebrating Japan's rich yokai culture.
Junya Kono, one of the festival producers, emphasised the historical depth of the event: “The Hyakki Yagyo itself is said to have really happened in Kyoto 1,200 years ago, and people in Kyoto at that time were really afraid of it. It has a much deeper history than Halloween, which has recently become popular in Japan because it is based on something very cultural.”
Matthew Meyer, a Yokai illustrator, noted the growing global interest in Japanese folklore, stating, “People across the world who are interested in Japanese culture find Yokai fascinating and decide to explore it more often. Generally, they discover it’s a piece of culture that hasn't really been focused on outside of Japan until very recently.”
The festival, running from September 14 to December 8, will feature a variety of events, including the 'Hyakki Yakko' where approximately 100 yokai characters will roam the Film Village, and an art exhibition blending traditional folklore with pop culture.
The Kaikai Yokai Festival aims to bring the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' from Kyoto’s Heian period to life, offering an immersive experience that blends historical and contemporary interpretations of yokai culture.
Where demons dance and history haunts! Hundreds flock to Kyoto's Uzumasa Film Village as Kaikai Yokai Festival kicks off
Kyoto's Uzumasa Film Village welcomed hundreds of attendees dressed as traditional Japanese yokai as the Kaikai Yokai Festival launched on Sunday.
Footage from the event shows festival-goers in elaborate costumes and live performances by dancers celebrating Japan's rich yokai culture.
Junya Kono, one of the festival producers, emphasised the historical depth of the event: “The Hyakki Yagyo itself is said to have really happened in Kyoto 1,200 years ago, and people in Kyoto at that time were really afraid of it. It has a much deeper history than Halloween, which has recently become popular in Japan because it is based on something very cultural.”
Matthew Meyer, a Yokai illustrator, noted the growing global interest in Japanese folklore, stating, “People across the world who are interested in Japanese culture find Yokai fascinating and decide to explore it more often. Generally, they discover it’s a piece of culture that hasn't really been focused on outside of Japan until very recently.”
The festival, running from September 14 to December 8, will feature a variety of events, including the 'Hyakki Yakko' where approximately 100 yokai characters will roam the Film Village, and an art exhibition blending traditional folklore with pop culture.
The Kaikai Yokai Festival aims to bring the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' from Kyoto’s Heian period to life, offering an immersive experience that blends historical and contemporary interpretations of yokai culture.
Kyoto's Uzumasa Film Village welcomed hundreds of attendees dressed as traditional Japanese yokai as the Kaikai Yokai Festival launched on Sunday.
Footage from the event shows festival-goers in elaborate costumes and live performances by dancers celebrating Japan's rich yokai culture.
Junya Kono, one of the festival producers, emphasised the historical depth of the event: “The Hyakki Yagyo itself is said to have really happened in Kyoto 1,200 years ago, and people in Kyoto at that time were really afraid of it. It has a much deeper history than Halloween, which has recently become popular in Japan because it is based on something very cultural.”
Matthew Meyer, a Yokai illustrator, noted the growing global interest in Japanese folklore, stating, “People across the world who are interested in Japanese culture find Yokai fascinating and decide to explore it more often. Generally, they discover it’s a piece of culture that hasn't really been focused on outside of Japan until very recently.”
The festival, running from September 14 to December 8, will feature a variety of events, including the 'Hyakki Yakko' where approximately 100 yokai characters will roam the Film Village, and an art exhibition blending traditional folklore with pop culture.
The Kaikai Yokai Festival aims to bring the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' from Kyoto’s Heian period to life, offering an immersive experience that blends historical and contemporary interpretations of yokai culture.