Conventional vampires may not be native to classic Japanese folklore, but they eventually entered modern culture starting in the early 20th century. And today these creatures of the night have become fairly common in the media, often eclipsing actual endemic monsters or ghosts of legend. Vintage depictions of Japanese vampires (kyūketsuki) patterned themselves after Dracula and his ilk. Where these bloodsuckers began to feel more distinctly Japanese was incidentally in and around the golden age of anime, or to be more specific, the 1980s and 1990s. From Vampire Hunter D to Vampire Princess Miyu, Japanese vamps were finally stepping out of their Western counterparts’ shadows and developing their own unique origins and stories.
Looking back, the vampire’s growing popularity in Japanese culture can be interpreted as a fear of Western encroachment. That’s not to say Japan is the only place where vampires were a manifestation of cultural panic...
Looking back, the vampire’s growing popularity in Japanese culture can be interpreted as a fear of Western encroachment. That’s not to say Japan is the only place where vampires were a manifestation of cultural panic...
- 10/28/2022
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
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