The Japan Foundation brought its travelling exhibition “Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan,” showcasing scrolls and other historical artifacts, paintings and woodblock prints at the Lahore Arts Council, Alhamra from September 23 to October 3, 2024. It was organised by the Japan Foundation and the Embassy of Japan in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Foundation Trust and the Lahore Arts Council.
Celebrated artist Sabah Husain, Director of Lahore Arts Foundation Trust, served as the venue curator for the exhibition.
The ten-day exhibition is part of a long-term tour of the world spanning a period of about five years, starting from the Institute of Japanese Culture in Rome in 2021. This spectacle of tangible and intangible cultural heritage curated by Yumoto Koichi (Director Emeritus of the Yumoto Koichi Memorial, Japan Yokai Museum), features 84 Yokai artworks and invites the viewers to venture into the world of Japanese mystery and mythology. The exhibition was inaugurated by Japan's Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Wada Mitsuhiro, alongside Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Culture, Shazia Rizwan, in the presence of other art and culture enthusiasts.
Inaugurating the exhibition, Ambassador Wada expressed his great joy to bring the mythical aspects of Japanese culture in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan. Sharing the spiritual world of Japan through the exhibition of Yokai, he said: “In Pakistan, when people think of Japan, they often imagine automobiles, electrical products, and animation. Our objective in presenting this exhibition is to give visitors a glimpse of the distinctive sensibilities of the Japanese people through the unique exhibits.”
The exhibition depicts a marvellous convergence of graphic arts and traditional painting techniques. Moreover, documentary films on arts, architecture and crafts from Japan were screened during the exhibit. In the exhibition, the visuals explore the night parade of the demons, monsters and many other Yokai (Japanese folkloric imaginary monsters) phenomena throughout Japanese history. The diverse and imaginative depictions of Yokai range from traditional woodblock prints to contemporary interpretations through picture scrolls, nishiki-e, multi-coloured woodblock prints, books as well as a diverse range of media, such as toys and films.
The show is divided into chapters, and each chapter deals with a particular medium or story. For instance, Chapter 1 has picture scrolls, exquisitely painted on handmade paper. The woodblock prints and picture scrolls are replicas of the original works in the museum. These have been created by the artists on handmade paper with natural pigments. Due to development of colourful woodblock printing in Edo period, the reproduction of Yokai works became more accessible and recognisable for the public.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1892
There is a wide variety of works, from playfully humorous ones that depict Yokai almost as if they were human—spanning from their marriage to the birth of their children—to picture scrolls like illustrated reference books that serve to introduce each individual Yokai. Although the show in this gallery does not follow the chapter-based sequence, each chapter is complete in itself and has a collection of artefacts which contribute meaningfully to the entire narrative.
The two large sculptures and a series of small sculptures of the ghosts and monsters are also part of the display.
In the past, Yokai invoked a sense of fear and mystery, but as the media transitioned from picture scrolls to Nishiki-e images, books and toys, becoming more familiar to the masses, they changed to a more endearing and friendly presence.
As the Yokai became popular in publication, it transformed into a symbol of closeness and affection for people in the daily lives. The third section of the exhibition reveals the birth of amicable Yokai in various traditional Japanese games and toys.
The exhibition further showcases the essence of Yokai culture that continues to live within people’s imagination to this day, and can be found in present-day manga comics, movies, anime and character based games such as “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”, Pokémon (pocket monster).
The theme of myths and supernatural phenomena is explored through emaki, picture scrolls, books, woodblock prints (Ukiyo–e) toys, cards and sculptures. Some of the renowned Ukiyo-e artists also created Yokai characters, which became very popular with audiences in the Edo era (1615-1868).
Extensive research conducted by the curator Yumoto Koichi and the collection of rare artefacts is phenomenal. Some artefacts, card games, books and picture scrolls have a QR code which the audience can use to play the games and animate the scrolls. The methodology employed by Japan Foundation to create a travelling show of these exhibits is exhaustive and complex. It should be noted that an exhibition of this scale has never been sent before to Pakistan by the Japan Foundation.
Sabah Husain, Director of Lahore Arts Foundation Trust, spoke about the presence of supernatural phenomena in stories and myths in Pakistan in particular and the subcontinent in general, expressing her wish to work with students and artists to compare and possibly illustrate similar tales from Pakistan.
We can also explore the stories of Kisa-e-Chahar Dervish, Umro Ayyarr ki Zambeel, and other popular folklores and myths from various regions, such as the Kalash Valley and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Persian Book of Kings (Shahnameh by Ferdowsi) has images of many monsters, dragons, jinns and the fairies. Some of these stories resonate with the present times.