Search results
- It lives in water and attracts people walking on the seaside to kill them. It is very cruel, and can attack in group, spread diseases and even wreak havoc places near its hideout.
www.kanpai-japan.com/japanese-myths-and-folktales/yokai-introducing-spirits-of-the-japanese-folklore
People also ask
Are Japanese yokai scary?
Are yokai a ghost?
Which Japanese yokai is the most deadly?
What are Japanese yokai?
Are yokai a sign of bad luck?
What is a yokai Japanese demon?
Some, such as the Zashiki Warashi (座敷童子), could even be benevolent to humans under the right circumstances. On the other hand, the worst of them are utterly dangerous—to be avoided at all costs! For nothing would thrill them more than to brutalize humans. The following are 15 such powerful and evil Japanese Yokai.
- 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.
- Kitsune yokai. This multi-tailed fox-like yokai may be benevolent, malicious or just plain mischievous, but what is certain is that it has more than one trick up its sleeve.
- Yurei yokai. This Japanese ghost with the appearance of a corpse dressed in a kimono and long black hair, comes straight from hell. Unable to go to the afterlife, he is stuck in limbo for eternity.
- Oni demon. It's a demon from Japanese mythology that looks like an ogre. This terrifying monster is often depicted with horns and sharp teeth. If it was particularly frightening at the time, it also became a protective spirit of the home in exchange for offerings.
- Tanuki. Among the yokai, animals represent many spirits. The Tanuki is a species of Japanese dog similar to a raccoon. If you meet this magical animal with a very special look, which can change shape at will, it is a harbinger of luck and prosperity.
- Aka Manto. The Japanese have a lot of yokai tied to toilets, and using the restroom, particularly in public places like schools, but no toilet-based yokai is as cruel as aka manto.
- Kuchisake Onna. This one is no fun whatsoever. According to "The Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons A Field Guide To Japanese Yokai" by Matthew Meyer, the kuchinasake onna is the lingering spirit of a mutilated woman who has come back to seek vengeance on any living person unfortunate to come across her.
- Gashadokuro. If ever there was a "standard" yokai, at least from Western conceptions, this may be it. Most yokai are pretty creative — spider women, flaming heads, legless apparitions — but the gashadokuro is just a giant skeleton, according to "The Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons A Field Guide To Japanese Yokai" by Matthew Meyer.
- Kamaitachi. Generally speaking, weasels are pretty cute. Itachi, the Japanese word for weasel, doesn't change that. Cute little orange coats and white bellies, like they were made to be mass produced as stuffed animals.
In the yokai, the emphasis appears to be on the 怪 guai, or on their monstrous and aberrant nature and anatomy. Japanese yokai in popular culture often includes elements of the cute, comical, the goofy, and the bizarre.
Mar 31, 2020 · Yōkai often possess household objects or even structures, such as umbrellas, lamps, and tea kettles. Most of them are mischievous and dangerous, just like the futon spirit mentioned at the beginning. Some, however, act as charms. One of those is the hahakigami, or literally: broom spirit.
