Michael Dylan Foster

For over three decades I have been exploring the folklore of Japan, particularly things considered mysterious, monstrous, or transcendent. Combining historical and literary analysis with ethnographic fieldwork, my research strives to understand people’s lived experiences—both the everyday and the extraordinary. I have written extensively about yōkai—fantastic creatures, monsters, and related phenomena—but the more I learn about them, the more I am amazed by how much more there is to discover. Since 2022, I have been the “Yōkai Navigator” for an NHK World documentary TV series called “YŌKAI: Exploring Hidden Japanese Folklore.”

I also research ritual and festival, which gives me a chance to visit communities throughout Japan and meet people from all walks of life. Once, while living on a small island off the coast of Kagoshima, I helped out on a fishing boat for several months, during which time I ate sashimi for breakfast every day.

When not looking for yōkai, attending a festival, or eating sashimi, I work as a professor at UC Davis, where I teach courses on Japanese folklore, tourism and heritage, popular culture, and the culture of food.