​From Godzilla to Pokémon, Japan is monster country. And all of Japan's monsters have their roots in the bizarre menagerie of creatures called yokai. Noted monster scholar and yokai folklorist Zack Davisson guides you through the history behind yokai; a journey from the invisible monsters of the Heian period to the yokai catalogs of Edo.

This lecture is co-sponsored by Washin Kai and UW's Department of Asian Languages and Literature, and it will be presented by Seattle Asian Art Museum as part of the museum's Free Friday Night.  The Stimson Auditorium is on the lower level of Seattle Asian Art Museum, located inside Volunteer Park at 1400 East Prospect St., Seattle.

Zack Davisson

Zack Davisson is an award-winning writer, translator, and lecturer. On faculty at NYU, he played a significant role in making Japanese folklore and entertainment accessible to English audiences. Zack is the author of The Ultimate Guide To Japanese Yokai, Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats Of Japan, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost, and The Art Of Star Wars Visions. He translated globally known entertainment properties such as Devilman, Record of Lodoss War, and Mizuki's Shigeru's famous folklore comic Kitaro. Current projects include Kitsune: The Supernatural Foxes of Japan and Ultimate X-Men.

 Zack has lectured on manga, folklore, and translation at Duke University, Annapolis Naval Academy, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.He currently lives in Seattle, WA with his wife Miyuki, dog Mochi, cat Shere Khan, and several ​

• This lecture is free and open to public.  Appropriate for audiences of all ages.    ​​