Inventing yōkai

Deconstructing the quintessential Japanese woman through Junji Ito’s Tomie

Bibliographic Data

ID22003239
AuthorsAthira S M (IITISM Dhanbad), S M Athira (Indian Institute of Technology Dhanbad), Rajni Singh (0000-0002-1569-8339, Indian Institute of Technology Dhanbad, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume17
Issue3
Pages615-634
Publication date2026-05-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Graphic Novels & Comics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2150-4857 • E-ISSN: 2150-4865
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21504857.2025.2513345
OpenAlexW4411070134
LanguageEN
References cited30

Studying representative monster figures in literature allows a glimpse into a particular society’s anxieties at a point in time. In Japanese culture, the monstrous usually manifests through yōkai, creatures that are part of a unique tradition that continues to this day. Yōkai have evolved with the times, thus acting as possible representations of societal fears in every era. With consideration to the current popularity of manga in Japanese popular culture, this paper intends to examine Junji Ito’s horror manga series Tomie as a chronicle of the creation of a new yōkai. In the process, this paper examines the dichotomy between the ideal and the deviant Japanese woman and the association of the latter with monstrosity. Finally, the paper attempts to validate Tomie as a new candidate to the tradition of female yōkai by establishing her nonconformity to human society and demonstrating her similarities to existing yōkai

Art · Comics · Literature · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Japanese History and Culture · Media, Gender, and Advertising

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