Praise for the First Edition of The Book of Ykai:
"Foster creates engagingly rich portraits of ykai. . . . Kijin's illustrations draw on Japanese artistic traditions to depict each creature's personality and visual quirks, making this field guide a delight for researchers, enthusiasts and the uninitiated alike. . . . Seen this way, even the most horrific ykai seems beautiful."Times Literary Supplement
"Foster . . . analyses and catalogues hundreds of ykai and tells many stories . . . enhanced by witty illustrations by Shinonome Kijin. . . . A fascinating and charming compendium."Literary Review
"An interesting cultural text highly recommended to Japanophiles or aficionados of the otherworldly."Foreword Reviews
"Highly recommend. . . . A fascinating read."Reference Reviews
"Michael Dylan Foster draws the reader into a haunting tale of the uncanny from the first page."Journal of Religion in Japan
"The Book of Ykai is a fascinating and enormously informative study. . . . Foster's narrative is smooth and often humorous. The book is easy to read, and at the same time immensely informative on the complicated and varied ways ykai have existed throughout Japanese history."Western Folklore
"Readers will be fascinated (as well as teased) by the kaleidoscope of creatures, malignant and benign."International Institute for Asian Studies
