Yokai are sometimes portrayed as bringers of good luck. Amabie (Amabiko), which has regained popularity in recent years, is one such example. These yokai were written about in woodblock-printed news and other publications during the Edo period. By the Meiji era (1868–1912), they also appeared in newspapers and other media. Amabie is a yokai that predicts good harvest and plagues. Amabie tells people that if they worship a copy of itself, they will not contract the plague, and then Amabie leaves.
Even as modernization unravels mysterious phenomena and the yokai become less realistic, people still enjoy them based on their interest in natural history, as well as for the characters’ popularity and narratives. Yokai also function as objects of worship, albeit half playfully.