Japanese Mythology & Folklore: Ghosts, Monsters, & Strange Tales

[NEW, IMPROVED & EXPANDED AFTER A LONG HIATUS]
Ever wondered what a “tanuki” really is, or what the difference is between a youkai and a yuurei? Find out the answers here! Join us as we explore the supernatural side of Japan, its most iconic (as well as some of the more obscure) monstrous creatures and demons, its strange stories and superstitions, as well as its continued influence on popular culture.

In this ongoing class, each week will cover at least one (at most three) of the most prominent supernatural creatures organized around a given "category" or aspect of Japanese folklore, their origins and what they were believed to do or be responsible for, how people in Japan believed they could defend against them, as well as the cultural context for their existence. Learners will be taken through a PowerPoint slide presentation complete with photos/images and video clips (when appropriate). Each class will also include a retelling of at least one Japanese folktale or ghost story, as well as discussion of the role Japanese folklore continues to play in Japan today, such as the influence on contemporary superstitions and its presence in popular culture (anime/manga, video games, movies, etc.). When relevant, aspects of Chinese and/or Korean folklore and how it has either influenced and/or is connected to Japanese folklore may also be included. 

Questions are encouraged throughout class and learners will be invited to share their thoughts/opinions at several points during each meeting, typically in response to a discussion question of some kind prepared by the teacher. 

Each week's meeting will include a brief introduction/overview of Japanese folklore at the beginning so that all learners can understand and participate but will mostly feature new material - new creatures, new stories, etc. every week. Class content may be adapted/modified slightly based on the experience and interests of the participating learners that week, but here is the planned material for the scheduled weeks of sections for this class:

Week 1 (5/16/25): Ghosts - "Vengeful" & "Noble"
Week 2 (5/23/25): Magical Animals - Foxes (Kitsune) & Racoon-Dogs (Tanuki)
Week 3 (5/30/25): Legendary Beasts - Phoenixes & Dragons 
Week 4 (6/6/25): Fearsome Feminine - Monster Women of Snow & Spiders
Week 5 (6/13/25): Legendary Heroes of Japanese Folklore - "Magical" Warriors (1) 
Week 6 (6/20/25): Other Strange Creatures - Mountain Goblins (Tengu) & River Goblins (Kappa)
Week 7 (6/27/25): Ghosts - "Location-Bound" Spirits & "Living" Ghosts
Week 8 (7/4/25): Magical Animals - Cats, Dogs & Weasels
Week 9 (7/11/25): Legendary Beasts - The Kirin (Chinese "unicorn") & The Baku (dream-eater) 
Week 10 (3/18/25 | 7/25/25): Fearsome Feminine - Monster Women of the Rivers & Seas
Week 11 (3/25/25 | 8/1/25): Legendary Heroes of Japanese Folklore - "Magical" Warriors (2)
Week 12 (4/1/25 | 8/8/25): Other Strange Creatures - The Demon/Ogre (Oni)
Week 13 (4/8/25 | 8/15/25): Ghosts - Small Spirits & "Hungry" Ghosts
Week 14 (4/15/25 | 8/22/25): Magical Animals - Wolves, Otters, Bats
Week 15 (5/6/25 | 8/29/25): Legendary Beasts - The Nue (Japanese chimera), Mermaids & Giant Catfish
Week 16 (5/13/25 | 9/5/25): Fearsome Feminine - Monster Women of the Mountains, Trees & Rain
Week 17 (5/20/25 | 9/12/25): Nature Spirits in Japanese Folklore
Week 18 (5/27/25 | 9/19/25): Other Strange Creatures - "Living" Skeletons & Things Coming Alive
Week of 19 (6/3/25 | 9/26/25): Ghosts - Contemporary Spirits & Urban Legends
Week 20 (6/10/25 | 10/3/25): Magical Animals - Spiders, Toads & Snakes
Week 21 (6/17/25 | 10/10/25): Animal Ghosts in Japanese Folklore
Week 22 (6/24/25 | 10/17/25): Fearsome Feminine - Monster Women with Strange Features
Week 23 (3/22/25 | 7/1/25 | 10/31/25): Other Strange Creatures - "Silly" Monsters
Week 24 (3/21/25 | 3/29/25 | 7/8/25 | 11/7/25): Ghosts - Haunted Places in Japan Today
Week 25 (3/28/25 | 4/5/25 | 7/15/25 | 11/14/25): Living in a Supernatural & Superstitious Japan

**Please note that depending on the learners in attendance and their expressed interests some material may repeat, though the utmost will be done to make sure that returning learners will come away with something new each meeting of class.