Youkai Museum Building No. 01

The Shodoshima Yokai Art Museum, directed by Yagyu Chuebi, is located on Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture, in the area known as the "Maze District" — a labyrinthine network of streets and alleys historically designed to divert pirates who frequently raided the island. The museum first opened in 2011, was renovated, and re-opened in 2019.

Yokai origins in Japanese folklore trace back to the 11th century, rooted in the concept that unexplained natural phenomena — damaging winds, strange noises — were the work of supernatural creatures. The 18th-century artist and scholar Toriyama Sekien brought wider attention to yokai through his illustrated encyclopedia of monsters. The museum treats yokai not as historical relics but as enduring cultural expressions of human fear and imagination, presenting them as a living art form.

Building No. 01, housed in a former kimono shop's storehouse, focuses on yokai from Japanese folklore, featuring creatures such as kappa, gyuki, and nekomata. One floor is designed as a dark zone where visitors explore the artworks using handheld flashlights. At the first building, visitors receive headphones linked to an audio guide that explains the origins and significance of the yokai on display. Building No. 01 is the starting point for the full museum circuit, which spans four buildings across the Maze District, each housed in a different Meiji-era structure.

The museum is a 1-minute walk from the Tonosho Honmachi bus stop, reachable by the Shodoshima Olive Bus in 5 minutes from Tonosho Port. Tonosho Port is itself approximately a 15-minute walk from the museum, and Shodoshima is about one hour by ferry from Takamatsu. A free parking lot with 20 spaces is available near the museum reception. Admission covering all buildings is ¥2,900 for adults, ¥1,450 for junior high and high school students, and free for elementary school students and younger.