Today we continue A-Yokai-A-Day with another cute-yet-creepy yokai. Though similar-looking to yesterday’s nodeppou, today’s nobusuma has very different origins and slightly different behavior.

The most fascinating thing about today’s yokai is that not only does it evolve from a regular animal into a yokai, it evolves again and again into more powerful yokai forms! Does that sound familiar? If you are at all interested in Japanese pop culture, it should!

Though not a direct ancestor of Pokemon, there is no doubt that Pokemon were deeply influenced by the yokai tradition. In fact, some Pokemon are direct copies of certain yokai, though with newer-sounding names tacked on. The nobusuma, being one of the most dynamically changing yokai over its lifespan, really evokes the feeling of Pokemon or other video game characters morphing into a new form when they reach a certain power level. Today you get to see its first yokai form (evolved from a wild bat), and later this week we will look at some of its more advanced yokai forms!

Nobusuma / 野衾 / のぶすま

To learn more about nobusuma and other awesome yokai, visit yokai.com/nobusuma. And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to check out my book on Amazon.com, in paperback and Kindle formats!