Mia Mann | 2024 I.S. Symposium

Name: Mia Mann
Title: 怖い (kowaii) to 可愛い (kawaii): The Transformation of the Kappa and Tsuchigumo in Japanese Media
Majors: Anthropology; East Asian History
Minor: History
Advisors: Margaret Ng; Michael Miyawaki

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the historical transformation of yokai (Japanese Spirits), specifically the kappa (a froglike figure with a plate on its head) and the tsuchigumo (a spider demon). This thesis examines these two yokai’s representations in various medium from the Edo period (1603-1868) to the contemporary (2000-2023). Such mediums include ukiyo-e (woodblock print from the Tokugawa period 1600-1868), folklore, Noh plays, manga (comics) and anime (animation). The shifts and transformation of these two iconic yokai were implicated in dynamic social, economic, political, and global trends. Thus, by analyzing observable changes in the kappa and tsuchigumo as they appear in media over time, I discovered what changes have occurred, what historical events have caused these changes, and what role the two yokai play in Japanese society today.

Posted in Symposium 2024 on May 2, 2024.