Scary Books - Villains, Tortures, Monsters, and … ?

The idea of hell as a world where those who were evil in life suffer after death remains deeply rooted even today. In Japan, such images were shaped primarily through the influence of Buddhism.
According to The Essentials of Birth in the Pure Land (985), the dead are reborn into one of six realms—hell, hungry ghosts, animals, violent demigods, humans, or heavenly beings—depending on their actions while alive. Images of hell depicted in paintings stirred fear in those who saw them. The human realm addresses the impurity of both the living and the dead. In particular, ideas surrounding the impurity of death were incorporated into Buddhist practices, with monks seeking to free themselves from attachment by observing the decay of a human corpse.
This section introduces the terrifying world of the afterlife, which served as a caution against doing evil deeds in this life.

In ancient Japan, people believed that goryō—terrifying, invisible, non-human entities—were responsible for natural disasters, disease, and other mysterious phenomena affecting everyday life. When calamities struck, rituals and incantations were performed to pacify these vengeful spirits and ward off further misfortune.
In the early modern period, however, these non-human beings gradually came to be represented as visible and even humorous figures. Intellectuals sought to explain such entities, and by the eighteenth century, doubts about their existence had begun to spread. As they became increasingly visualized and codified as yōkai, they also appeared in kusazōshi (illustrated popular fiction), kabuki, and toys as sources of popular entertainment.
In this way, non-human beings gradually disappeared from the forefront of everyday life. Even so, the beings later known as yokai continue to fascinate people today. This section traces changing perspectives on whether such beings should be regarded as frightening or not.

Belief in mysterious beings that cause inexplicable phenomena has taken root not only in Japan, but throughout Asia. Legends about “non-human beings” have been collected and recorded by local figures as well as visitors from abroad.
One example is the Feitouman, a supernatural being said to separate its head from its body at night and fly through the air. Known all over Southeast and East Asia, it has a different name in each country: Shichigyo in Vietnam, Luotoumin in China, and Rokurokubi in Japan. Some strange legends were shared across regions in this way, while others, such as Chinese hanging ghosts and the Jinn of Arab traditions, remained unique to particular places.
Please enjoy this look at the wide variety of “non-humans” from across Asia.

This section examines the terrors that people have inflicted upon one another. Driven by laws, customs, religious dogma, or simple self-interest, human societies have frequently been the source of immense suffering and strife.
Before the advent of human rights, many forms of punishment focused on direct physical agony, often involving brutal torture. In China and pre-Edo Japan, acts of revenge were similarly sanctioned under Confucian values and even romanticized as virtuous deeds.
While these actions were considered “just” within the context of their time, they appear undeniably horrific to us now. These materials stand as a stark record of the darker side of our shared history.

Were history’s “villains” truly evil? And under what conditions is a villain created?
When order is maintained under a central authority, the seeds of opposition often sprout at the fringes of power—among influential relatives or favored retainers. During times of political upheaval and rebellion, certain figures inevitably stand out, and as new powers emerge and solidify their rule, those on the losing side are often branded as the “antagonists.” In many cases, these labels are simply a matter of perspective. At other times, historical figures were exaggerated and cast as villains to serve as moral warnings or cautionary tales for future generations.
This section delves into the “villains” shaped by various points of view and circumstances, uncovering the gap between their popular image and their historical reality.

In the past, when confronted with terrifying events beyond human control like epidemics and natural disasters, people responded by recording the facts, using them as material for creative works, or attributing their causes to the supernatural.
While disasters were sometimes interpreted as divine warnings against bad human conduct. In the Japanese context, they manifested as oni (demons) or yokai (supernatural spirits)—symbols of the “evil” that tormented society, and although these beings were fearsome, they were often shaped by local faith into conceptual or even humorous forms. Such figures served a vital dual purpose: they offered a vessel for the misplaced anger and anxiety of those in distress, while simultaneously acting as talismans to ward off further misfortune.
Presented here are the many forms of “fear” born from the raw realities of human life and survival.