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are a class of
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
entities and spirits in
Japanese folklore Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, Tradition, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The Folklor ...
. The
kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply the Japanese transliteration or pronunciation of the Chinese term '' yāoguài'' (which designates similarly strange creatures), some Japanese commentators argue that the word ''yōkai'' has taken on many different meanings in Japanese culture, including referring to a large number of uniquely Japanese creatures. are also referred to as , or . However, most Japanese generally think of the two loose classes of spirits as highly different, although some academics and
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
practitioners acknowledge similarities within the seeming dichotomy between the natures of them and most ''
kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...
'', which are generally regarded as relatively beneficent in comparison, and class the two as ultimately the same type of spirits of nature or of a mythological realm. Their behavior can range from malevolent or mischievous to benevolent to humans. often have animal-like features (such as the , depicted as appearing similar to a turtle, and the , commonly depicted with wings), but may also appear humanoid in appearance, such as the (口裂け女). Some resemble inanimate objects (such as the ), while others have no discernible shape. are typically described as having spiritual or supernatural abilities, with
shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...
being the most common trait associated with them. that shapeshift are known as or . Japanese
folklorists Folklore studies (also known as folkloristics, tradition studies or folk life studies in the UK) is the academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the ac ...
and historians explain as personifications of "supernatural or unaccountable phenomena to their informants". In the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
(1603 to 1868), many artists, such as Toriyama Sekien (1712-1788), invented new by taking inspiration from folk-tales or purely from their own imagination. Today, several such (such as the ) are mistakenly thought to originate in more traditional folklore.


Concept

The concept of , their causes and phenomena related to them varies greatly throughout Japanese culture and historical periods; typically, the older the time period, the higher the number of phenomena deemed to be supernatural and the result of . According to Japanese ideas of
animism Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...
, spirit-like entities were believed to reside in all things, including natural phenomena and objects. Such spirits possessed emotions and personalities: peaceful spirits were known as , who brought good fortune; violent spirits, known as , brought ill fortune, such as illness and natural disasters. Neither type of spirit was considered to be . One's ancestors and particularly respected departed elders could also be deemed to be , accruing status as protective spirits who brought fortune to those who worshipped them. Animals, objects and natural features or phenomena were also venerated as or propitiated as depending on the area. Despite the existence of harmful spirits, rituals for converting into were performed, aiming to quell malevolent spirits, prevent misfortune and alleviate the fear arising from phenomena and events that otherwise had no explanation. The ritual for converting into was known as the . rituals for that failed to achieve deification as benevolent spirits, whether through a lack of sufficient veneration or through losing worshippers and thus their divinity, became . Over time, phenomena and events thought to be supernatural became fewer and fewer, with the depictions of in picture scrolls and paintings beginning to standardize, evolving more into caricatures than fearsome spiritual entities. Elements of the tales and legends surrounding began to be depicted in public entertainment, beginning as early as the Middle Ages in Japan. During and following the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, the mythology and lore of became more defined and formalized. File:Katsushika_Hokusai_-_The_Lantern_Ghost%2C_Iwa_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg, by Katsushika Hokusai File:Kuniyoshi Kidomaru.jpg, by
Utagawa Kuniyoshi Utagawa Kuniyoshi (, ; 1 January 1798 – 14 April 1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al'' (2005). "Kuniyoshi" in He was a member of the Utaga ...
File:Suushi Nekomata.jpg, from the
Hyakkai Zukan is a picture scroll by Edo period Japanese artist Sawaki Suushi. Completed in 1737, this scroll is a supernatural bestiary, a collections of ghosts, spirits and monsters (Yōkai), which Suushi based on Japanese literature, literature, Japanese fo ...
by Sawaki Suushi File:Yoshitoshi_The_Ground_Spider.jpg, from the by
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (; also named Taiso Yoshitoshi ; 30 April 1839 – 9 June 1892) was a Japanese printmaker.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric. (2005)"Tsukoka Kōgyō"in ''Japan Encyclopedia,'' p. 1000. Yoshitoshi ha ...
File:Gamayoukai.JPG, from the Volume 2, special issue Tamababaki File:SekienNarigama.jpg, from the Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro by Sekien Toriyama File:Kawanabe Kyōsai - Theatre Curtain of the Shintomi-za, with an Impromptu Sketch Monsters.jpg, Theatre Curtain with Yokai by Kawanabe Kyōsai (1880)


Types

The folklorist Tsutomu Ema studied the literature and paintings depicting and , dividing them into categories as presented in the and the : * Categories based on a 's "true form": ** Human ** Animal ** Plant ** Object ** Natural phenomenon * Categories depending on the source of mutation: ** Mutation related to this world ** Spiritual or mentally related mutation ** Reincarnation or afterworld related mutation ** Material related mutation * Categories based on external appearance: ** Human ** Animal ** Plant ** Artifact ** Structure or building ** Natural object or phenomenon ** Miscellaneous or appearance compounding more than one category In other
folklorist Folklore studies (also known as folkloristics, tradition studies or folk life studies in the UK) is the academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the ac ...
categorizations, are classified, similarly to the
nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
s of Greek mythology, by their location or the phenomena associated with their manifestation. are indexed in the book as follows: * (mountains) * (paths) * (trees) * (water) * (the sea) * (snow) * (sound) * (animals, either real or imaginary)


History


Ancient history

* 772 CE: in the , there is the statement "
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
purification is performed because appear very often in the imperial court", using the word to not refer to any one phenomenon in particular, but to strange phenomena in general. * Middle of the
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
(794–1185/1192): In ''
The Pillow Book is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Fujiwara no Teishi, Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian-period Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. The wor ...
'' by
Sei Shōnagon , or , was a Japanese author, poet, and court lady who served the Empress Teishi (Sadako) around the year 1000, during the middle Heian period. She is the author of . Name Sei Shōnagon's actual given name is not known. It was the custom amon ...
, there is the statement "there are tenacious ", as well as a statement by
Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, Japanese poetry#Age of Nyobo or court ladies, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court in Kyoto, Imperial court in the Heian period. She was best known as the author of ''The Tale of Genji'', widely considered t ...
that "the have become quite dreadful", which are the first appearances of the word . * 1370: In the , in the fifth volume, there is the statement, "Sagami no Nyudo was not at all frightened by ." The ancient times were a period abundant in literature and folktales mentioning and explaining . Literature such as the , the , and various expositioned on legends from the ancient past, and mentions of , , among other kinds of mysterious phenomena can already be seen in them. In the Heian period, collections of stories about and other supernatural phenomena were published in multiple volumes, starting with publications such as the and the , and in these publications, mentions of phenomena such as can be seen. The that appear in this literature were passed on to later generations. Despite the literature mentioning and explaining these , they were never given any visual depictions. In Buddhist paintings such as the Hell Scroll (Nara National Museum), which came from the later Heian period, there are visual expressions of the idea of , but actual visual depictions would only come later in the Middle Ages, from the Kamakura period and beyond. Yamata no Orochi was originally a local god but turned into a who was slain by Susanoo. Yasaburo was originally a bandit whose vengeful spirit () turned into a poisonous snake upon death and plagued the water in a paddy, but eventually became deified as the "wisdom god of the well". and are sometimes treated as gods in one area and in other areas. From these examples, it can be seen that among Japanese gods, there are some beings that can go from god to and vice versa.


Post-classical history

Medieval Japan was a time period where publications such as , , and other visual depictions of started to appear. While there were religious publications such as the , others, such as the , were intended more for entertainment, starting the trend where became more and more seen as subjects of entertainment. For examples, tales of extermination could be said to be a result of emphasizing the superior status of human society over . Publications included: * The (about an ), the (about a ), the (concerning serpent/dragon-folk oppressed by a giant centipede ''yōkai''), the (about ), and the (about a giant snake). These were about that come from even older times. * The , in which Sugawara no Michizane was a lightning god who took on the form of an , and despite attacking people after doing this, he was still deified as a god in the end. * The , the , (both about Tamamo-no-Mae), and the (about a monkey). These told of mutations of animals. * The , which told tales of thrown away none-too-precious objects that come to have a spirit residing in them planning evil deeds against humans, and ultimately get exorcised and sent to peace. * The , depicting many different kinds of all marching together In this way, that were mentioned only in writing were given a visual appearance in the Middle Ages. In the , familiar tales such as
Urashima Tarō is the protagonist of a Japanese fairy tale (''otogi banashi''), who, in a typical modern version, is a fishermen, fisherman rewarded for rescuing a sea turtle, and carried on its back to the Dragon Palace (Ryūgū-jō) beneath the sea. There, ...
and Issun-bōshi also appeared. The next major change in came after the period of warring states, in the Edo period.


Modern history


Edo period

* 1677: Publication of the , a collection of tales of various monsters. * 1706: Publication of the . In volumes such as (volume 1) and (volume 4), collections of tales that seem to come from China were adapted into a Japanese setting. * 1712: Publication of the by Terajima Ryōan, a collection of tales based on the Chinese . * 1716: In the specialized dictionary , there is an entry on , which stated, "Among the commoners in my society, there are many kinds of (mysterious phenomena), often mispronounced by commoners as Types include the cry of weasels, the howling of foxes, the bustling of mice, the rising of the chicken, the cry of the birds, the pooping of the birds on clothing, and sounds similar to voices that come from cauldrons and bottles. These types of things appear in the , methods of exorcising them can be seen, so it should serve as a basis." * 1788: Publication of the by Masayoshi Kitao. This was a diagram book of , but it was prefaced with the statement "it can be said that the so-called in our society is a representation of our feelings that arise from fear", and already in this era, while were being researched, it indicated that there were people who questioned whether really existed or not. It was in this era that the technology of the printing press and publication was first started to be widely used, that a publishing culture developed, and was frequently a subject of and other publications. As a result, shops that handled such books spread and became widely used, making the general public's impression of each fixed, spreading throughout Japan. For example, before the Edo period, there were plenty of interpretations about what the were that were classified as , but because of books and publishing, the notion of became anchored to what is now the modern notion of . Also, including other kinds of publications, other than born from folk legend, there were also many invented that were created through puns or word plays; the by Toriyama Sekien is one example. When the became popular in the Edo period, it is thought that one reason for the appearance of new was a demand for entertaining ghost stories about no one has ever heard of before, resulting in some that were simply made up for the purpose of telling an entertaining story. The and the are known examples of these. They are also frequently depicted in
ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...
, and there are artists that have drawn famous like
Utagawa Kuniyoshi Utagawa Kuniyoshi (, ; 1 January 1798 – 14 April 1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al'' (2005). "Kuniyoshi" in He was a member of the Utaga ...
, Yoshitoshi,
Kawanabe Kyōsai was a Japanese painter and caricaturist. In the words of art historian Timothy Clark, "an individualist and an independent, perhaps the last virtuoso in traditional Japanese painting". Biography Living through the Edo period to the Meiji pe ...
, and
Hokusai , known mononymously as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. His woodblock printing in Japan, woodblock print series ''Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji'' includes the iconic print ''The Gr ...
, and there are also books made by artists of the
Kanō school The is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting from the late 15th century until the Meiji era, Meiji period which began in 1868, by which time the school had divided i ...
. In this period, toys and games like and , frequently used as characters. Thus, with the development of a publishing culture, depictions that were treasured in temples and shrines were able to become something more familiar to people, and it is thought that this is the reason that even though were originally things to be feared, they have then become characters that people feel close to.


Meiji and Taishō periods

* 1891: Publication of the by Shibue Tamotsu. It introduced folktales from Europe, such as the Grimm Tales. * 1896: Publication of the by Inoue Enryō * 1900: Performance of the kabuki play at the
Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and o ...
in January. It was a performance in which appeared numerous such as the , skeletons, , , among others. Onoe Kikugorō V played the role of many of these, such as the . * 1914: Publication of the by Mitsutaro Shirai. Shirai expositioned on plant from the point of view of a plant pathologist and herbalist. With the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
, Western ideas and translated western publications began to make an impact, and western tales were particularly sought after. Things like , , and were talked about, and were even depicted in classical . Although the were misunderstood as a kind of Japanese or , they actually became well known among the populace through a called by San'yūtei Enchō, which were adoptions of European tales such as the Grimm fairy tale "Godfather Death" and the Italian opera (1850). Also, in 1908, Kyōka Izumi and jointedly translated Gerhart Hauptmann's play ''The Sunken Bell''. Later works of Kyōka such as were influenced by ''The Sunken Bell'', and so it can be seen that folktales that come from the West became adapted into Japanese tales of .


Shōwa period

Since have been introduced in various kinds of media, they have become well known among people from all walks of life. The from before the war, the
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
industry, shops that continued to exist until around the 1970s, and television all contributed to the public knowledge and familiarity with . play a role in attracting tourism revitalizing local mecca regions such as Tōno in
Iwate Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture (behind Hokkaido) at , with a population of 1,165,886 (as of July 1, 2023). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Pre ...
(where stories in
Kunio Yanagita was a Japanese author, scholar, and Folklore studies, folklorist. He began his career as a bureaucrat, but developed an interest in rural Japan and its folk traditions. This led to a change in his career. His pursuit of this led to his eventual e ...
's ' were collected) or
Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...
( Shigeru Mizuki's birthplace). In this way, are spoken about in legends in various forms, but traditional oral storytelling by the elders and the older people is rare, and regionally unique situations and background in oral storytelling are not easily conveyed. For example, the classical represented by can only be felt as something realistic by living close to nature, such as with ( Japanese raccoon dogs), foxes and
weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
s. Furthermore, in the suburbs, and other regions, even when living in a primary-sector environment, there are tools that are no longer seen, such as the inkstone, the (a large cooking pot), or the (a bucket used for getting water from a well), and there exist that are reminiscent of old lifestyles such as the and the . As a result, even for those born in the first decade of the
Shōwa period Shōwa most commonly refers to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa ** Shōwa era (昭和), the era of Hirohito from 1926 to 1989 * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufactu ...
(1925–1935), except for some who were evacuated to the countryside, they would feel that those things that become are "not familiar" and "not very understandable". For example, in classical , even though people understand the words and what they refer to, they are not able to imagine it as something that could be realistic. Thus, the modernization of society has had a negative effect on the place of in classical Japanese culture. On the other hand, the introduced through mass media are not limited to only those that come from classical sources like folklore, and just as in the Edo period, new fictional continue to be invented, such as scary school stories and other
urban legend Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be e ...
s like and , giving birth to new . From 1975 onwards, starting with the popularity of , these urban legends began to be referred to in mass media as "modern ". This terminology was also used in recent publications dealing with urban legends, and the researcher on , , used this especially frequently. During the 1970s, many books were published that introduced through encyclopedias, illustrated reference books, and dictionaries as a part of children's horror books, but along with the that come from classics like folklore, , and essays, it has been pointed out by modern research that there are some mixed in that do not come from classics, but were newly created. Some well-known examples of these are the and the . For example, Arifumi Sato is known to be a creator of modern , and Shigeru Mizuki, a manga artist of , in writings concerning research about , pointed out that newly created do exist, and Mizuki himself, through , created about 30 new . There has been much criticism that this mixing of classical with newly created is making light of tradition and legends. However, since there have already been those from the Edo period like Sekien Toriyama who created many new , there is also the opinion that it is unreasonable to criticize modern creations without doing the same for classical creations too. Furthermore, there is a favorable view that says that introducing various characters through these books nurtured creativity and emotional development of young readers of the time.


Comparison with yaoguai

Both the Chinese
yaoguai Yaoguai ( zh, 妖怪, p=yāoguài, s=妖怪, t=妖怪) represent a broad and diverse class of ambiguous creatures in Chinese folklore and Chinese mythology, mythology defined by the possession of supernatural powers and by having attributes tha ...
and Japanese yokai include strange, supernatural beings with shapeshifting tendencies. In the Chinese version of the yaoguai, the emphasis is often on the first character 妖 yao, which connotes bewilderment and enchantment and supernatural affliction - for example, their ability to take on human form in order to seduce and to enthrall human beings. 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. Some creatures appear in both Chinese and Japanese folklore as
yaoguai Yaoguai ( zh, 妖怪, p=yāoguài, s=妖怪, t=妖怪) represent a broad and diverse class of ambiguous creatures in Chinese folklore and Chinese mythology, mythology defined by the possession of supernatural powers and by having attributes tha ...
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). Some, such as the nekomata (cat yokai) and tanuki (raccoon yokai), resemble Chinese yaoguai, which encompasses any number of shapeshifting animals and plants who have learnt to cultivate human form and other supernatural arts. The cat yokai, for example resembles the Chinese 仙狸 or "leopard cat immortal". Yet others are uniquely Japanese, such as the ambivalent and occasionally cute kappa, the haradashi - a goofy yokai with its belly on its face, and the mumashika, which are comical-looking yokai with horse heads and deer bodies.


In popular culture

are often referred to as Japanese spirits or East Asian ghosts, like the legend or the story of the " Slit-mouthed girl", both of which hail from Japanese legend. The term can also be interpreted as something strange or unusual.
Lafcadio Hearn was a Greek-born Irish and Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the Western world. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collections of legend ...
's collection of Japanese ghost stories entitled '' Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things'' includes stories of
yūrei are figures in Japanese folklore analogous to the Western concept of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, (''yū''), meaning "faint" or "dim" and (''rei''), meaning "soul" or "spirit". Alternative names include , meaning ruined or departed ...
and ''yōkai'' such as Yuki-onna, and is one of the first Western publications of its kind. Yōkai remain prevalent in modern works of fiction. Shigeru Mizuki, the manga creator of such series as '' GeGeGe no Kitaro'' and ''Kappa no Sanpei'', keeps ''yōkai'' in the popular imagination. Other popular works focusing on yōkai include the '' Nurarihyon no Mago'' series, Yu Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale, Yo-kai Watch and the 1960s ''
Yokai Monsters is a trilogy of Japanese horror/fantasy films written by Tetsuro Yoshida and released in the late 1960s. The films were produced by Daiei Film, and productions were largely influenced by ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' franchises where Daimajin was ...
'' film series, which was loosely remade in 2005 as
Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...
's ''
The Great Yokai War is a 2005 Japanese fantasy film directed by Takashi Miike, produced by Kadokawa Pictures and distributed by Shochiku. The film stars Ryūnosuke Kamiki, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Chiaki Kuriyama, and Mai Takahashi. The film focuses lar ...
'' and more recently ''
Yukinobu Tatsu Yukinobu Tatsu (龍幸伸) is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for ''Fire Ball!'' ''and'' '' Dandadan''. Biography Tatsu was born in Saitama Prefecture. Works *'' Fire Ball!'', serialized in ''Monthly Shōnen Magazine'' (2013-2014) *'' ...
'' 's '' Dandadan''. They often play major roles in Japanese fiction.


See also

Japanese supernatural beings *
Kappa Kappa (; uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; , ''káppa'') is the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value of 20. It was d ...
- a type of yōkai *
Oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...
- a type of yōkai *
Tengu ''Tengu'' ( ; , , ) are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of ''yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods or spirits). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of bird of ...
- a type of yōkai * , distinct from the yōkai * , distinct from the yōkai Japanese museums on the supernatural * Miyoshi Mononoke Museum * Shodoshima Yokai Art Museum Other supernatural beings from East Asian folklore * * Ghosts in Chinese culture - Some Chinese ghosts are identical to the Japanese yūrei in character or nature * (legendary beings from the
Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...
) * Mogui - A class of Chinese demons from Buddhism *
Yaoguai Yaoguai ( zh, 妖怪, p=yāoguài, s=妖怪, t=妖怪) represent a broad and diverse class of ambiguous creatures in Chinese folklore and Chinese mythology, mythology defined by the possession of supernatural powers and by having attributes tha ...
- A class of Chinese supernatural beings with shapeshifting abilities and other supernatural powers. Lists of supernatural creatures from East Asian folklore * * List of supernatural beings in Chinese folklore - Legendary creatures and entities in Chinese folklore, many of which also recur in Japanese lore


References


Notes


Citations


Works cited

* * * * *


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * *


External links


''Yōkai'' and ''Kaidan''
(PDF; 1.1 MB)



* ttps://exchange.umma.umich.edu/resources/25752 Collection: Supernatural in Japanese Art from University of Michigan Museum of Art {{DEFAULTSORT:Yokai Japanese words and phrases