Deities who descend to Earth in search of lazy children. Straw-clad figures on whom villagers toss water to ensure a prosperous growing season. Gods in demon masks going door to door to protect against disaster. These are some of the characters who inhabit Yokainoshima, a mythical island of Japanese spirits that exists in the imagination of photographer Charles Fréger.  

While these beings from the spirit world—known collectively as yokai—are rooted in Japanese folklore and make appearances in communities across rural Japan at certain times of the year, Fréger isn't interested in creating straight, ethnographic representations. "I am not an anthropologist," he says. His inspiration comes from the visual aspects of these traditions—such as festival masks and costumes—which he then translates into something entirely new: a choreography of gesture and attitude presented against intentionally chosen landscapes. 

For the past 16 years, Fréger's portrait work has been centered around activities or customs that bind communities together. It