In most of Japan's folk art of the day including pulp fiction, puppet theatre, storytelling, kabuki, scroll painting and woodblock prints vengeful spirits were among the most popular motifs.

ECONOMIST: There is more than you think to the haunting of Japan

Murakami is a serious artist, whose theory of the "Superflat" opened the door for a comparison of manga with classical Japanese scroll painting and printmaking, but the show was promoted with a quote from Marc Jacobs, the fashion designer with whom he'd collaborated on Louis Vuitton handbags.

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