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Discriminatory Aspects of Physical Expression in Japanese Yokai - Using Images of Mizuki Shigeru’s Zato and Hitotsumekozo -

Kim Yongui 1

1전남대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the discriminatory representation of physical disability in the visualization of Yokai images, particularly in the context of the Yokai boom in contemporary Japanese society. From Toriyama Sekien’s Yokai paintings in the pre-modern period to Mizuki Shigeru’s Yokai illustrations in the modern period, these works reflect numerous discriminatory physical expressions of bodily “excess” or “deficiency.” Through an analysis of Mizuki Shigeru’s Zato and Hitotsumekozo Yokai paintings, this paper highlights how these portrayals exemplify discriminatory expressions of physical disability from a modern perspective. However, the physical portrayal of Yokai in art has largely been overlooked as an academic and social issue in Japan. In contemporary Japanese society, where strict regulations and restrictions are applied to discriminatory physical representations across various sectors, “Yokai” remain a rare cultural space where such depictions persist unchallenged.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.