Night of 100 Demons: Inside Kyoto’s New Yokai Festival

Yokai artwork by Yoshifuji Utagawa, 1868

Post Author - J. Carlin Decker III

Somewhere in Japan, on an ill-fated night once a month so evil and mysterious, it is said that all the yokai, oni, and other supernatural beings come together to form the Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行) or the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, and any mortal who encounters the parade with have their souls taken to join in the dark procession. Kansai locals beware, as this autumn, the ominous phenomenon is coming to the streets of Kyoto.

Yokai are mischievous supernatural beings and phenomena that come from Shinto and Japanese folklore. They are often portrayed in media, and anyone who is familiar with things like Pokemon or Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away have encountered some form of yokai-like beings. The Hyakki Yagyō has been celebrated as a festival formally and informally for many years, and this year the demon parade will be debuting in a new form at Kyoto Toei Studio Park, just in time for the Western Halloween season. 

A 2018 Yokai festival (source: Japan Visit)

The KaiKai Yokai Sai, or the Strange Yokai Festival, is a modern revamping of the Hundred Demon Night Parade, and aims to create a spooky, chilling atmosphere, while also connecting people to folklore, culture, and art. This event runs from mid-September to early December on weekends and certain public holidays at the Kyoto Toei Park, bringing special events on specific days. There is, of course, the main event, The Grand Parade, occurring a few times throughout the season, bringing one hundred demons in elaborate costumes through the streets of the park, in a very similar way to other traditional Japanese festivals.

There are also many other events such as ghost story sessions, yokai dance exhibitions, costume contests, and a special scavenger hunt–the Yokai Transformation Rally. This rally tasks park-goers to find everyday objects and antiques throughout the park, and turn them into Yokai. The festival also brings in a variety of local artists, craftspeople, and vendors to display and sell their yokai related art, and connect those to the artisan community. 

The festival had been held before from 2005-2020 in the Spring, as the Ichijo Hyakki Yagyō, but had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and crowd-controlling issues. This new autumnal festival at the Toei Studio park will hopefully breathe new life into the Yokai festival, and be the perfect late night event for yokai enthusiasts from all over.