Japan Foundation Traveling Exhibition open to the public at the Guam Museum

Japan Foundation Traveling Exhibition open to the public at the Guam Museum The Japan Foundation and the Consulate-General of Japan together with the Senator Antonio M. Palomo Guam Museum and CHamoru Educational Facility, a division of the Department of CHamoru Affairs, are pleased to present the world traveling exhibition titled “Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday – Friday and/or 10:00am – 2:00pm Saturday, beginning June 10 to July 4 at the Guam Museum.

The newly organized traveling exhibition introduces Japan’s yokai culture that extends to the present day through picture scrolls and nishiki-e (“brocade picture,” a type of multicolored Japanese woodblock print), as well as a diverse range of media, including toys and films. In all cultures spanning from East to West, from antiquity to modern times, various images have been used to represent mysterious and unexplainable phenomena. Japanese yokai have also appeared in a variety of tales as characters that express such supernatural powers, serving to instill surprise and fear in people. As times progressed and the development of new science and technology brought about changes to people’s lives, yokai seem to have gradually become less of a subject of fear
and have perhaps come to be viewed as a more charming and friendly presence. Japan still has a culture of enjoying kaidan (ghost stories and tales of the supernatural) in the summertime, with yokai seen dominating television and theater screens across the country.

The world traveling exhibit today focuses on the “popularization” of these yokai and invites viewers to venture into and explore their profound world of mystery. The Consulate-General of Japan looks forward to sharing this experience with the people of Guam and most especially with local artists and school students of all ages who are learning, growing, and expanding their talent.

For more information, please call Hana Morikami at 671-646-1290 or email: cgjguam@ag.mofa.go.jp.