Japanese folklore enthusiasts and horror fans alike will find new excitement in the 2020 Youkai Pandemonium exhibition. An eerie yet fascinating exhibit, it is located at the Grand Gallery on the 1st floor of the Kadokawa Musashino Museum, being one of its many first stage projects.

The exhibit features paintings, traditional artifacts and rare items spanning several centuries. After passing a gate called “Fushimaden,” visitors will be able to see “youkai corridors” featuring picture scrolls of youkai and historical and traditional artifacts. The exhibit even features fossils, which point to the complex and intriguing origins of youkai myths.

The exhibition is curated by youkai studies expert Hiroshi Aramata, who graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University, and moved on to become a translator and novelist of sci-fi and mystery literature from both Japan and the United States.

The patently surreal Kadokawa Musashino Museum had a grand opening in November 2020. It is also known as the Kadokawa Cultural Museum, or Kadcul for short. The venue has a unique sense of grandeur made possible by the famous architect Kengo Kuma.

2020 Youkai Pandemonium at Kadokawa Culture Museum

Where: Kadokawa Culture Museum (also known as Kadokawa Musashino Museum), 3-31-3 Higashi-Tokorozawa Wada, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama

When: Nov 6, 2020 – Feb 28, 2021 (10am – 6pm)

Price: ¥1,600, junior high and high school students ¥1,000, primary school students ¥800, free for younger children