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- 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.
- Aka Manto
- Amabie
- Gashadokuro
- Hitotsume-kozō
- Jorōgumo
- Kappa
- Kirin
- Kitsune
- Kuchisake-Onna
- Obake
Aka Manto means “Red Cloak” or “Red Cape.” Aka Manto is a spirit who wears a mask and a red cloak. The spirit, usually male, appears to people, mostly young women, in public bathrooms. Some legends say he only haunts the last stall in a bathroom. Aka Manto is thought to be very handsome under his mask, but do not be fooled by his charm. According t...
Amabie are friendly mermaid-like creatures with long hair, scales, a bird beak, and three tail fins. When an Amabie emerges from the sea, it prophesizes about good harvests and/or impending pandemics. According to the legend, Amabie encourage people to draw their likeness on paper and share the image with as many people as they can in order to ward...
Gashadokuro translates to “starving skeleton” and refers to spirits who take the form of massive skeletons. When people do not get proper funeral rites and burials, such as soldiers on the battlefield, or those who die from poverty or famine, it is believed their souls remain on earth due to their anger and resentment. When enough angry souls have ...
Hitotsume-kozō appear as bald-headed children with one large eye, like a cyclops. Because of their shaved heads and clothing, the Hitotsume-kozō are said to look like little monks in training. Hitotsume-kozō are more-or-less harmless, though they are mischievous. They tend to appear suddenly in order to startle people and are usually found alone on...
The Jorōgumo is a spider yokai that can take on the form of a beautiful woman. She targets men looking for love and sex and will seduce them into coming back to her home. Once there, she ensnares him in her web and poisons him until he grows weaker and she can feast on him. Similar to the Jorōgumo is the Tsuchigumo (土蜘蛛, つちぐも). Tsuchigumo are giant...
Kappa are one of the most well-known yokai–but they're actually kami (gods). They are humanoid amphibians who live in rivers, and are known for drowning humans in rivers, especially when they are not respected as deities. They are small, like a child, but have incredible strength. They have webbed hands and feet, scaly skin in shades of green or re...
Kirin come from Qilin in Chinese mythology. The kirin is described as a chimerical creature similar to a unicorn. It has the body of a deer, dragon scales, horse hooves and mane, and an ox’s tail. Kirin are believed to be the most powerful creatures in Japanese folklore. Even so, they are serene, majestic, and good. They will not hurt another livin...
Kitsune is the Japanese word for fox, and Kitsune in Japanese mythology are foxes that possess supernatural abilities. These powers increase as the foxes grow older and wiser. The wiser and more powerful they become, the more tails they will grow. Foxes have a significant role in Japanese mythology. They are believed to be shapeshifters that can tu...
The Kuchisake-onna is known as the slit-mouthed woman. She is a malevolent spirit that takes the form of a beautiful woman. She is described as pale-skinned, with long black hair, and a bloody slit across her mouth that runs from ear to ear. She appears at night, in dark alleys or vacant streets, to lone travelers. She often wears a mask or covers ...
Obake are also known as Bakemono, which means “thing that changes.” As the name suggests, Obake are shapeshifters. They are usually the spirit of an animal or a plant, but can take on the form of other things, from humans to inanimate objects. Kitsune fit into the category of Obake. Another well-known Obake is the Tanuki, the Japanese raccoon dog. ...
- 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.
- 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.
Oct 7, 2024 · Yokai are benevolent, mischievous or downright terrifying Japanese spirits with an alluring nature that has intrigued Japan for centuries.
In this enchanting realm, one group of beings stands out above all others – the yokai. Whether you enjoy battling an oni demon in a video game or love watching them in anime, yokai have a wonderful charm. You can even find them on the streets of Kyoto!
Aug 3, 2022 · The list of Japanese Yokai. Yokai, highly well-liked supernatural beings from Japanese mythology, have also dominated popular culture in areas including film, music, and video games like Yo-kai Watch, which is particularly well-liked among young people in Japan.
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