text: Yōkai are often understood as Japanese monsters. However, not all yōkai are necessarily Japanese.
  
  The word can refer to mysterious spirits and phenomena from anywhere in the world. Foreign monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein's creature are often included under the yōkai umbrella.
  
  Many yōkai which are traditionally viewed as Japanese actually originate in other cultures. Even some of the most quintessential and famous yōkai—like kitsune, kappa, and oni—have roots in earlier sources from China and India.