I was spirited away into the world of yokai in August of 2010. That was when I took my first journey to Japan. Perhaps after visiting temples,watching the fireworks of matsuri(festival) in a yukata, and soaking in a hot spring, I was ripe for the picking. As I was leaving Japan, (I didn’t really want to go.) I stopped in a bookstore in Narita airport. I was looking for one last souvenir. After pondering over several books on Japanese gardens, I came across When Yokai Attack!. Billed as The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, I just had to posses it. On my flights back home ( Yes, I said flights. Just two of them.) I happily slurped up the information in that book like ramen broth. Of course I’d seen Yokai before in anime series like Inuyasha but I didn’t come to appreciate them till after I learned of their origins. Ever since I read that book I’ve spent my time trying to learn as much as I can about Japanese folklore and the things that are kowai (scary).