pixivision - Illustration features tagged youkai

Drawings of Jiangshi - Night of the Hopping Dead

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:00:00 +0900

The jiangshi, often called “hopping vampires” for their distinctive way of getting around, are creatures from Chinese folklore that gained popularity through the Mr. Vampire film series. With their pale faces, talismans stuck to their foreheads, and uncanny movements, they’re a curious mix of creepy and cute.

Take a leap into this collection of illustrations featuring jiangshi.

Drawings of Yokai [Content Warning] - Fright Club

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0900

(Warning: Some illustrations may be frightening or disturbing.)

Step into the world of yokai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore that have stirred both fear and fascination for centuries. Though some are mysterious and eerie, others, like the bakeneko (a shapeshifting cat) or baketanuki (a mischievous raccoon-dog spirit), blend spookiness with playful charm.

Do you dare to step into the realm of the supernatural with this collection of illustrations featuring yokai?

Drawings Tagged “WTF This is Scary” [Trigger Warning] - Some Things Are Best Left Alone

Sun, 12 May 2024 18:00:00 +0900

What’s going on? And what on earth is that… that… thing?

If you’re not a fan of illustrations that make you utter the above, now’s your chance to turn back, for today’s feature is all about the disturbing and the macabre. Illustrations on pixiv will sometimes have the tag #なにこれこわい (nani kore kowai, lit. “wtf this is scary”), and as the name suggests, these drawings will leave you feeling more than a little unsettled.

Do you dare to keep scrolling? Which of these scenarios would you least like to encounter?

Drawings Featuring Jiangshi - Scary but Cute

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0900

In the dead of the night, a creature comes a-hopping… Why, who could it be but a jiāngshī?!

Jiāngshī, otherwise known as a Chinese hopping vampire, is a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore that has inspired countless jiāngshī films in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and across East Asia. Rather than blood, these creatures come alive at night and suck the life force out of living beings. While they can sometimes appear terrifying, they can also take on the appearance of a relatively ordinary-looking, recently deceased person, like the ones featured in today’s article. Besides, don’t they seem more endearing than scary when you imagine them doing their best to hop towards you?

From traditional jiāngshī to cute modernized jiāngshī, the illustrations below showcase a diverse array of Chinese hopping vampires. Enjoy, and be careful not to get your life force sucked out of you!

Drawings Featuring Yokai - Whispers in the Night

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 17:00:00 +0900

The yokai, mysterious beings from age-old Japanese tales, have long captured our collective imagination. They appear in a variety of stories, ranging from the bizarre to the eerie. Whether it's the towering tengu, fearsome oni, or creatures with an uncanny resemblance to animals, their appearances and temperaments span the spectrum. The world of yokai is delightfully diverse, ranging from mischievous to endearing creatures.

Check out this collection of drawings inspired by Japanese folklore!

Drawings of Yokai - You’d Better Watch Out!

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 17:00:00 +0900

Japanese folklore is full of a wide variety of tales of yokai, or supernatural entities, that have been passed down through the ages. Though they were once the stuff of nightmares, recent artists have taken new approaches to how we see these yokai and have even made some of them downright adorable.

Takashi Natsume and Madara (from Natsume’s Book of Friends) seem to be sharing a special moment while other legendary yokai happily look on.

Is there any particular yokai below that has caught your attention?

Drawings of Jiangshi - Terrifyingly… Adorable?!

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 17:00:00 +0900

Jiangshi, also known as Chinese hopping vampires, are essentially reanimated corpses. The original legends are bound to give you nightmares! It’s hard to even think about a living corpse slowly creeping up behind you… but maybe not when they’re designed like the ones pictured below!

How would you react if you came face-to-face with these characters?

Drawings of Yokai - Such Enigmatic Beings...

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 18:00:00 +0900

Yokai (妖怪, lit. “monster”, translated as youkai on pixiv) are a staple of fictional works in Japan. Unlike in the West, they don’t have to be horrifying creatures of the night though. They can be cute and even friendly. Many are sourced from old Japanese folklore too, like fox and tanuki youkai.

InuYasha, Mushishi, and even Youkai Watch... Do you have a favorite work featuring youkai or similar creatures?

Drawings of Jiangshi Zombies - Hopping Toward You!

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:00:00 +0900

Jiangshi zombies are Chinese specters that often appear in movies and manga. In Chinese folklore, a jiangshi is a corpse maneuvered by the magic of a Taoist priest. They may be frightening in nature, but the way they hop around is almost comical. It's hard not to find them kind of cute.

What's your favorite type of zombie?

Drawings of Spirits - There Could Be One Right Next to You.

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 17:00:00 +0900

Spirits are a bizarre phenomenon that transcends human understanding and cannot be explained through science. They often appear in Japanese legends.

Today we are featuring drawings of these spirits. Who knows, there could be one right next to you.

Drawings of Fox Boys - Beckoning Fox Cries♡

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 18:00:00 +0900

Foxes with pointy ears and fluffy tails. These kinds of foxes are so charming!

Today we are featuring drawings of fox boys. Enjoy.

Drawings of Demons - Beautiful and Ferocious.

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 17:00:00 +0900

"Oni" are demons specific to Japan. They have sharp horns and fangs. With power beyond human comprehension, they are sometimes equated with gods and have become the object of awe and worship.

Today we are featuring drawings of demons. Enjoy.

Drawings that will Make You Want to Become Friends with Monsters - Heart to Heart.

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 18:00:00 +0900

Monsters are creatures who may cause mysterious phenomenons to occur. What they know and value differs from us humans. Surely every day would be fun if you became friends with a creature like this.

Today we are featuring illustrations that will make you want to become friends with a monster. Enjoy.

Drawings of Jiangshi - Chinese specter!?

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 17:00:00 +0900

The jiangshi is a specter introduced from China. Originally a dead corpse that has been buried, its joints are said to not move very well resulting in it hopping around to move rather than walking. Though ghastly in appearance, the hopping makes it a little cute, right?

Today we're featuring illustrations of jiangshi. Enjoy!

Hyakki Yako Drawings - Walking through the dark night.

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 17:00:00 +0900

The Hyakki Yako or the night parade of one hundred demons refers to a group of demons and yokai that walks around the night and it is a popular theme in traditional storytelling of Japanese folklore. One hundred monsters slowly moving forward on the path after the sunset would be a very scary and frightening sight to behold. But if you come across this strange situation, you may feel so curious that you'd quietly follow them.

Today we are featuring illustrations of demon parades. Want to take a peek into the night world with the monsters as the main characters? Please enjoy!

Oni Illustrations - The metal rods make them invincible.

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 17:00:00 +0900

Oni refers to demons that often appear in Japanese folklore. They are often described as beings with horns on their heads and a huge metal rod in their hands. In some parts of Japan, they are considered as deities. According to one theory, the name "Oni" is derived from the word "hidden" (Onu), which basically refers to things that are not present in the world. Terrible and powerful, scary yet beautiful... Would you like to meet an Oni?

Today we are featuring Oni illustrations. Please enjoy!

Drawings of Hanyo - My hidden supernatural talents.

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 18:00:00 +0900

Half human, half demon--a hanyo (半妖) is the result of a union between a yokai (demon) and a human. It is said that Rumiko Takahashi, the author of Inuyasha, is the one who created the term and the concept is now deeply rooted in the world of 2D. When we watch a character who has the powers and features of a youkai struggle to overcome the obstacles that are resulted from their roots and grow in the process, we can't help but want to cheer for them.

Today we are featuring illustrations of hanyo. Enjoy!

Tengu Drawings - They're right next to you.

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 17:00:00 +0900

a pair of crow wings, a mountain priest's attire, and a long red nose--since the olden days, the people in Japan believe that the yokai tengu live in the mountains. They may abduct and play pranks on humans, but they're also known to have helped humans... The tengu might be creatures that humans ought to fear, but they used to live right next to us humans. They are indeed the beings of fantasy and mystery!

This time we're featuring illustrations of tengu. Enjoy!

Zashikiwarashi, Maiden Guardian Deity

Sun, 18 Sep 2016 17:00:00 +0900

The legend of the Zashikiwarashi (guest-room child), a young kimono clad girl who suddenly appears in one’s home, is one all Japanese people are familiar with. In Tohoku area, especially in Iwate prefecture, many legends still exist telling of a spirit that appears in one’s house and showers it with good fortune, although sometimes it can also play a harmless prank. Some legends say that a white Zashikiwarashi is a symbol of good luck while a red Zashikiwarashi is a warning to move to another house. The common element to all these legends is that the Zashikiwarashi are either the spirits of the dead or guardian deities who move in to one’s house. Everyone covets the good luck that comes along with these charming guardian deities.

Today we feature illustrations of the small spirits and guardian deities depicted in Japanese legends.

Yōkai Collection!

Thu, 05 May 2016 17:00:00 +0900

Yōkai are very familiar in Japan since the old days, they are supernatural monsters which are deeply connected to religious faith and Japanese ideology. These creatures came to life thanks to the rich imagination of the old Japanese folks; they are known to provoke extraordinary paranormal phenomena, and their existence can’t be scientifically explained. They have many names, such as “ayakashi” (a ghost who usually appears at sea during shipwreck) and “mononoke” (an evil spirit). They also inspired many anime (GeGeGe no Kitaro and Yōkai Watch are just two of the many examples), and this is one of the reasons why these creatures are still loved today. Today we collected artworks portraying yōkai, who keep inhabiting the hearts of Japanese people since the oldest times. Take a look!