Yōkai
/joʊˈkaɪ/noun
A supernatural being, spirit, monster, or uncanny phenomenon in Japanese folklore.
Did you know?The word yōkai originally described uncanny phenomena before becoming a broad label for Japan’s vast population of spirits, demons, shape-shifters, and magical creatures.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
妖怪
“Strange, ominous, or supernatural phenomena”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
ʔjiew kæ̀jH
“Bewitching or abnormal manifestation”
8th Century
Classical Japanese
yōkai
“An uncanny apparition or supernatural disturbance”
18th–19th Century
Japanese
妖怪
“A spirit, monster, shape-shifter, or other supernatural entity”
20th Century
English
yōkai / yokai
“A Japanese folkloric supernatural being or phenomenon”
Modern English
English
yokai
“A widely used loanword for creatures and forces from Japanese folklore”