According to Chinese legend, a young scholar named Zhong Kui traveled from his hometown to Chang’an for the statewide imperial examinations. Though Zhong Kui was awarded top honors for his performance, the emperor stripped him of his title because of his disfigured face. Upon hearing the news, Zhong Kui committed suicide by hitting his head repeatedly against the palace gates. The judge in the underworld gave him the title King of Ghosts. In Japan, there is a similar legend, but the protagonist is referred to as Shoki the Demon Queller. Shoki’s story became the subject of woodblock prints and the Kabuki theater. This Smithsonian exhibition features the supernatural beings of Japan’s Edo period, which dates from 1603 to 1868. —Elena Clavarino