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- Yōkai spirits are supernatural, existing beyond the realm of the ordinary. Now, they're not always the bad guys. Some can be friendly, while others might give you a bit of a hard time. Often, they're seen as the personification of natural events or elements. And no, they're not your typical demons.
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What is a yokai myth?
- Tengu. Tengu is a legendary yokai that you’d likely have come across whilst exploring Japan. This popular folklore creature is often printed on arts and crafts and is featured in many cultural performances.
- Oni. Arguably one of the most famous yokai in Japan, the Oni is an ogre who is strong, fearsome, and mischievous. They are known to bring bad luck and disaster with them wherever they go.
- Umi-bozu. This sea creature is usually described as having a huge dark head that just appears out of the water. It’s said that when it appears, it will break through any boat that is nearby and kill its passengers.
- Yurei. Yurei are the most typical-looking ghost creatures within the yokai category. They are often depicted as floating white corpses, dressed in a draping kimono, with long black hair.
- Amabie. Amabie, 2003, Kyoto University.
- Tatsu. Tatsu (Dragon) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 19th Century, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
- Kirin. Kirin by Kikuoka Mitsuyuki, 18th Century, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
- Ningyo. Ningyo (Mermaid) by Tadayoshi, 19th Century, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
- What Are Yokai?
- Aka Manto
- Amanojaku
- Gashadokuro
- Jorōgumo
- Jubokko
- Kappa
- Kuchisake Onna
Japanese Yokai(妖怪), or “supernatural aberrations,” are a category of Japanese otherworldly beings that are hard to define. They could be spirits, demons, animalistic beings, or apparitions. In many cases, they are frightening to behold but ultimately non-malicious too. Some, such as the Zashiki Warashi (座敷童子), could even be benevolent to humans und...
As a child, were you afraid of public toilets? In school, were you terrified when having to use the bathroom alone? If so, you’d be aghast by the terrible Japanese urban legend of the Aka Manto. Said to haunt the last cubicle of public or school toilets, the “Red Cape” is an utterly malevolent spirit that forces anyone unfortunate enough to meet it...
The Amanojaku is an imp-like Yokaiwith no notable physical abilities. However, you’d be foolish to consider it harmless. In the Japanese language, the word jaku (邪) means “evil,” and that is exactly what the Amanojaku is all about. Though small, it can detect and inflame the darkest desires of humans. Those who fall victim are then goaded into perf...
Gashadokuro means “starving skeletons” in Japanese. However, they are more accurately, huge starving skeletons. As in, immensely powerful bony Japanese monsters several times the size of an average human. Believed to be formed from the bones of those who died in battle or famine, these horrible aberrations roam the wilderness hunting for victims wh...
Spiders are vital to healthy ecologies but in Japanese folklore and mythology, they are typically bad news. Very bad news. For example, the legendary Heian Era warrior, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, was nearly assassinated by a gigantic tarantula known as the Tsuchigumo (土蜘蛛). In comparison to the Tsuchigumo, the Jorōgumo is less impressive in size but po...
In the classic horror movie The Evil Dead, a victim was brutally attacked and raped by demonically possessed trees. Today, this sequence is still one of the most notorious scenes of the exploitation horror moviegenre. The Jubokko is similar to such trees, although it doesn’t rape, it simply captures humans with its branches and sucks out their bloo...
Because of their rather comical appearances, and how statues of them are sometimes used as tourism mascots, it’s easy to forget that Kappa are dangerous river-dwelling Japanese Yokaiyou wouldn’t want to cross paths with. Resembling anthropomorphic tortoises, with a distinctive dish-like bald spot on their heads that contain water, Kappa are cantank...
Similar to the Aka Manto, the “slit-mouthed woman” is a newer Japanese Yokaiand the product of urban legends. Likewise, she also torments her victims with one question. With her lower face concealed by a veil or scarf, she coyly asks, “Am I beautiful?” Should you say no, she kills you with large scissors to punish you for your insolence. Should you...
- Kitsune. Perhaps the best known Japanese yokai, Kitsune are fox spirits with a reputation for mischief. Japanese legend has it that all foxes possess the ability to transform into humans, and they often use this power for trickery.
- Kappa. Shaped like a human with green skin and webbed hands and feet, Kappa are yokai that resemble a cross between a human and a turtle. On their back, the Kappa carry a turtle-like carapace.
- Tengu. The Tengu is among the most famous of the Japanese yokai, with an appearance that’s mutated throughout the centuries. Often, the Tengu appears as a cross between monkey, human, and bird of prey.
- Kirin. Elusive and powerful, the Kirin originated in Chinese myths, where it was known as the Qilin. In Japanese legend, the Kirin is deer-like and often depicted covered in flames.
Some creatures appear in both Chinese and Japanese folklore as yaoguai and yokai, such as the scaly water shuihu (水虎), wilderness demons denoted as chimeiwangliang (魑魅魍魉), and nine-tailed fox demons (九尾狐).
Jul 20, 2022 · Any modern day horror movie aficionado probably thinks they've seen everything — monsters, demons, ghosts. Are there really any new ideas anymore? One quick glance at some of the terrifying Japanese yokai out there and the answer is a resounding yes.
Sep 16, 2024 · Scholars have tried to categorize yōkai with relative success, but unlike the myths of ancient Greece or the Celts, they can’t be so easily divided into groups. Yes, they are Japanese monsters and demons, but they are also something more, something less clearly defined.
