YOKAI EXPO 2027 Announced for Feb 21, 2027 in Shodoshima, Kagawa

The Shodoshima Tourism Association and the Yokai Art Museum (Director: Chuhei Yagyu) have announced that 'YOKAI EXPO 2027' will be held on Sunday, February 21, 2027, at the Tonosho Town General Hall Fletopia Hall in Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture. This will be the third iteration of the event, following the 'Yokai Expo' in 2025 and 'YOKAI EXPO 2026.' As a cultural event themed around 'yokai' (Japanese supernatural creatures), it aims for further development and to share yokai culture globally.

[YOKAI EXPO 2027 Event Overview]
- Date: February 21, 2027 (Sun), 10:00–16:00
- Venue: Tonosho Town General Hall Fletopia Hall, 267-78 Ko, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
- Organizers: Shodoshima Tourism Association, Yokai Art Museum
- Co-organizers: Shodoshima Maze Town Yokai Project Executive Committee
- Support: Tonosho Town, Shodoshima Town, Tonosho Town Board of Education, Shodoshima Town Board of Education (planned)
- Cooperation: Shodoshima Healthy Land Co., Ltd., Shodoshima Maze Town Art Project MeiPAM, Pao Feel Co., Ltd.
- Expected Attendance: 4,000
- Admission: Free
- Official Website: https://www.yokaiexpo.com

The Yokai Art Museum is located in the 'Maze Town' district of Tonosho-cho, Shodoshima, and is dedicated to yokai art. Directed by yokai artist Chuhei Yagyu, the museum displays over 900 works across four converted traditional houses. Its modern 'yokai' creations are gaining global attention, with catalogs published by a French publisher in both Japanese and English.

[Background]
First held in Shodoshima in 2025, the event has showcased the appeal of yokai culture through various programs. It achieved larger-than-expected attendance as an off-season tourist event. The 2026 edition attracted approximately 4,000 visitors and continues to grow.

['Oni-zai-zuki' (Demon Presence Month) in Shodoshima]
Throughout February, Shodoshima will host a 'Demon Resort Shodoshima' tourism campaign to bolster local tourism. While February is the month of 'Setsubun' (the day before the start of spring), the organizers joke that demons across Japan are looking for a place to go. They invite these 'Oni' (demons) to come to Shodoshima to relax and enjoy the 'YOKAI EXPO.' Much like how the lunar October is known as 'Kami-ari-zuki' (Month of the Gods) in the Izumo region, February in Shodoshima is marketed as 'Oni-zai-zuki' (Month of the Demons), gathering demons from all over Japan.