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List of legendary creatures from Japan

The following is a list of demons, ghosts, kami, obake, yōkai, yūrei and other legendary creatures that are notable in Japanese folklore and mythology.

A

Abumi-guchi
A furry creature formed from the stirrup of a mounted military commander who worked for Yamata no Orochi.
Abura-akago
An infant ghost who licks the oil out of andon lamps.
Abura-sumashi
A large-headed spirit who lives on a mountain pass in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Agubanba (あぐばんば, lit.'ash crone')
A blind, cannibalistic female yōkai who hails from Akita Prefecture. She mainly targets young women who have just come-of-age. Also known as Agubanba (灰坊主, lit.'ash shaver').
Akabeko
A red cow involved in the construction of Enzō-ji in Yanaizu, Fukushima.
Akamanto
A ghost in a red mantle that offers either red or blue toilet paper rolls in bathrooms, then kills whoever answers based on their choice: flaying for red, strangulation for blue.
Akaname
A spirit who licks off filth in untidy bathrooms.
Akashita
A creature that looms in a black cloud over a floodgate.
Akateko
A red child's hand dangling out of a tree, accompanied by a hypnotically beautiful woman standing beneath the tree.
Akkorokamui
A giant Ainu monster resembling an octopus.
Akurojin-no-hi
A ghostly fire from Mie Prefecture that appears on rainy nights and sickens those who do not flee from it.
Akubōzu
A spirit that lives in the ashes of hearths from Akita Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture.
Akugyo
An enormous species of sea monster found in the waters around Japan.
Amabie
A Japanese mermaid yōkai.
Amaburakosagi
A ritual-disciplinary demon from Shikoku.
Amamehagi
A ritual-disciplinary demon from Hokuriku.
Amanojaku
A small demon that instigates people into wickedness.
Amanozako
A monstrous goddess mentioned in the Kujiki.
Amazake-babaa
An old woman who asks for sweet sake and brings disease to whoever answers, whether they give her any or not.
Amefurikozō
A little boy spirit who plays in the rain.
Amemasu
An Ainu creature resembling a giant fish or whale.
Ameonna
A rain-making female spirit.
Amikiri
A net-cutting, bird-headed, crustacean-armed, snake-bodied spirit.
Amorōnagu
A female tennyo from the island of Amami Ōshima, who is said to bathe in pools and waterfalls in ravines.
Amaterasu
The Shinto sun goddess.
Anmo
A ritual-disciplinary demon from Iwate Prefecture.
Aoandon
The demonic spirit which arises from an andon lamp at the end of a Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai.
Aobōzu
A blue monk who kidnaps children.
Aonyōbō
A female ghost who lurks in an abandoned imperial palace.
Aosaginohi
A luminescent night heron.
Arikura-no-baba
An old woman with magical powers.
Ashimagari
A spirit which entangles the legs of travelers at night.
Ashinagatenaga
A pair of characters, one with long legs and the other with long arms.
Ayakashi
A maritime phenomenon considered to be the work of funayurei.
Azukiarai/Azukitogi
A spirit that washes azuki beans on a shoreline.

B

Bake-kujira
A ghostly whale skeleton that drifts along the coastline of Shimane Prefecture, accompanied by strange birds and fish.
Bakeneko
A shape-shifting cat spirit.
Bakezōri
A spirit inhabiting a straw sandal (zōri).
Baku
Supernatural beasts that resemble a tapir and devour dreams and nightmares.
Basan
A large fire-breathing chicken monster.
Bashōnosei
A banana tree spirit.
Betobeto-san
An invisible spirit which follows people at night, making the sound of footsteps.
Binbōgami
A spirit that brings poverty and other such misery.
Biwa-bokuboku
A biwa inhabited by a spirit.
Buruburu
A spirit which clings to people, inducing cowardice and shivering.
Byakko
The Japanese equivalent of the Chinese White Tiger.
Byōbunozoki
A tsukumogami that emerges from byōbu to spy on people.

C

Chōchinobake
A possessed chōchin lantern.
Chōchinbi
Demonic flames which appear in the footpaths between rice fields.

D

Daidarabotchi
A giant responsible for creating the geographical features of Japan as it moves and sleeps.
Daitengu
The most powerful tengu, each of whom lives on a separate mountain.
Danzaburou-danuki
A bake-danuki from Sado Island.
Datsue-ba
An old woman in the Underworld who removes the clothes (or skin, if unclothed) of the dead.
Dodomeki
A female demon with long arms covered in bird's eyes.
Dōnotsura
A headless humanoid yōkai with its face on its torso.
Dōsojin
The generic name for a type of Shinto guardian or spirit, considered to be the deities of borders and paths.

E

Enenra
A monster made of smoke and darkness.
Enkō
Kappa of Shikoku and western Honshū.

F

Fūjin
The Shinto wind god.
Fūri
A monkey-like yōkai.
Funayūrei
The angry ghosts of people who died at sea.
Furaribi
A birdlike creature engulfed in flames that flies aimlessly.
Furutsubaki-no-rei
A soul-sucking plant.
Furu-utsubo
A beloved quiver of slain archers.
Futakuchi-onna
A ghostly woman with a second mouth on the back of her head.

G

Gagoze
A demon known for having attacked young priests at Gangō-ji temple.
Gaki
The perpetually-starving ghosts of people who were especially greedy in life.
Gashadokuro
A giant skeleton that is the spirit of the dead left unburied after a sufficiently large disaster. Also known as Gaikotsu.
Genbu
The Japanese equivalent of the Chinese Black Tortoise.
Goryō
The vengeful spirits of dead nobles and martyrs.
Gozu and Mezu
Two notable guards of the Underworld, one with an ox's head and the other with a horse's head.
Guhin
Another name for tengu.
Gyūki
Another name for Ushi-oni.

H

Hakanohi
A fire which sprouts from the base of graves.
Hakuja no Myojin
A white serpent deity.[1]
Hakutaku
A yak-like beast which handed down knowledge on harmful spirits.
Hanako-san
The spirit of a young World War II-era girl who inhabits and haunts school restrooms.
Hannya
A Noh mask representing a jealous female demon.
Haradashi
A creature with a giant face on its stomach.
Harionago
A woman with a thornlike barb on the tip of each strand of her hair.
Hashihime
A woman whose jealousy turned her into an evil spirit, associated with the bridge at Uji.
Heikegani
Crabs with human faces on their shells, said to be the spirits of the warriors killed in the Battle of Dan-no-ura.
Hibagon
The Japanese version of Bigfoot or the Yeti.
Hiderigami
Spirits said to bring droughts.
Hihi
A baboon-like Chinese yōkai.
Hikeshibaba
An old woman who extinguishes lanterns.
Hinode
The moment of dawn, when the material world and the spirit world overlap.
Hitodama
A fireball ghost that appears when someone dies, signifying the dead person's spirit.
Hitotsume-kozō
A one-eyed child spirit.
Hitotsume-nyūdō
A one-eyed monk spirit.
Hiyoribō
The spirit which stops rainfall.
Hoji
The wicked spirit of Tamamo-no-Mae.
Hone-onna
A skeleton woman who seeks love but brings death.
Hō-ō
The legendary Fenghuang bird of China.
Hoshi no Tama
A ball guarded by a kitsune (fox) which can give the one who obtains it power to force the kitsune to help them. It is said to hold some reserves of the kitsune's power.
Hōsōshi
A ritual exorcist.
Hotoke
A term used to denote a deceased person.
Hyakki Yakō
The demons' night parade.
Hyōsube
A kind of kappa covered in hair.

I

Ibaraki-doji
A particularly famous offspring of an oni.
Ichiren-Bozu
Animated prayer beads.
Ikiryō
Essentially a living ghost, as it is a living person's soul outside of their body.
Ikuchi
A sea serpent that travels over boats in an arc while dripping oil.
Inugami
A dog-spirit created, worshipped, and employed by a family via sorcery.
Inugami Gyoubu
A type of bake-danuki.
Isonade
A giant shark-like sea monster with a barb-covered tail.
Issie
A lake creature similar to the Loch Ness Monster.
Itsumade
A fire-breathing birdlike monster.
Ittan-momen
A possessed roll of cotton that attempts to smother people by wrapping itself around their faces.
Iyaya
A woman whose face is reflected as that of an old man.

J

Jami
A wicked mountain spirit.
Janjanbi
Drifting fireballs named for the sound they make.
Jibakurei
A spirit that protects a specific place.
Jikininki
Ghosts of evil people, that have been condemned to eat human corpses.
Jinmenju
A tree with human-faced fruits.
Jinmenken
A human-faced dog.
Jishin-namazu
A giant catfish dwelling beneath the earth, which causes earthquakes and tsunamis when it moves. It was blamed during the Ansei earthquake and tsunami.[citation needed]
Jorōgumo
A spider yōkai that shapeshifts into an attractive woman to lure men in as prey.
Jatai
An animated folding-screen cloth.
Jubokko
A vampiric tree that grows on old battlefields.

K

Kahaku (河伯)
Another name for a kappa.
Kakurezato
Villages hidden deep in the mountains, where the inhabitants live peacefully and without conflict. Only those especially good of heart may stumble upon kakurezato, but cannot revisit upon leaving.
Kamaitachi
The slashing sickle-clawed weasel that haunts the mountains and rides dust devils to travel.
Kamikiri
A yōkai that secretly cuts people's hair.
Kangiten
The elephant-headed god of Bliss, comparable to Ganesha.
Kambarinyūdō
A monk spirit that spies on people while they are using the toilet.
Kameosa
A possessed sake jar.
Kanedama
A spirit that carries money.
Kappa
A famous water monster with a water-filled head and a love of cucumbers.
Karasu-tengu
A type of crow demon.
Karura
An anthropomorphic eagle akin to the Hindu Garuda.
Kasa-obake
A possessed paper-umbrella monster.
Kasha
A cart-like demon that descends from the sky, or a cat-like demon, which carries away the corpses of evildoers.
Katawaguruma
A type of wanyudo, with an anguished woman instead of a monk's head in a burning wheel.
Kawauso
River otter spirits.
Kawaakago
A river spirit that pretends to be a crying baby.
Kechibi
Fireballs with human faces inside.
Keneō
An old man seated in the underworld who weighs the clothes given to him by Datsue-ba.
Keukegen
A small dog-like creature covered entirely in long hair.
Kijimuna
Tree sprites from Okinawa that resemble red-headed small children.
Kirin
The Japanese version of the Chinese qilin, which is part dragon and part deer with antlers, fish scales and an ox's tail. Said to be a protective creature and the guardian of the metal element.
Kitsune
Mischievous shapeshifting fox spirits with multiple tails.
Kitsunebi
Flames created by a kitsune.
Kitsune no yomeiri
A procession of ghost lights.
Kiyohime
A woman who transformed into a serpent demon out of the rage of unrequited love.
Kodama
Spirits that lives in trees, said to be the cause of echoes.
Kokakuchō
The ubume bird.
Komainu
A pair of lion-dogs that guard the entrances of temples.
Konaki-jiji
The vengeful spirit of an infant left to die, it cries until someone picks it up, then turns into a heavy stone and crushes them.
Konoha-tengu
A bird-like tengu.
Koromodako
An octopus-like yōkai that lives in the waters bordering Kyoto and Fukui.
Koropokkuru
A little person from Ainu folklore.
Kosenjōbi
Fireballs that float over former battlefields.
Kosode-no-te
A possessed kosode.
Kotobuki
A Japanese chimera with the features of the beasts from the Chinese Zodiac: a rat's head, rabbit ears, ox horns, a rooster's comb, a sheep's beard, a dragon's neck, a back like that of a boar, a tiger's shoulders and belly, monkey arms, a dog's hindquarters, and a snake's tail.
Kubikajiri
A headless beast that stinks of fresh blood and eats the heads of its victims.
Kuchisake-onna
The malevolent spirit of a woman whose face was disfigured into a Glasgow smile, who attacks people to inflict identical mutilations upon those few she doesn't kill outright.
Kuda-gitsune
A small fox-like animal used in sorcery.
Kudan
A cow with a human face.
Kuzuryū
A nine-headed dragon deity.
Kyonshii
The Japanese version of the Chinese hopping vampire, known as jiangshi.
Kumo Yōkai
A Japanese spider demon.
Kunekune
A long, slender strip of paper that wiggles on rice or barley fields during hot summers.
Kyōkotsu
A skeletal figure that emerges from a well.
Kyōrinrin
Possessed scrolls or papers.

M

Mekurabe
The multiplying skulls that menaced Taira no Kiyomori in his courtyard.
Menreiki
A spirit composed of gigaku masks.
Miage-nyūdō
A spirit that grows taller as fast as you can look up at it.
Mikaribaba
A one-eyed old woman.
Mikoshi-nyūdō
A bald goblin with an extending neck.
Misaki
A term for various high-ranking divine spirits.
Mizuchi
A dangerous water dragon.
Mokumokuren
A swarm of eyes that appear on a paper sliding door in an old building.
Momonjii
An old man who waits for travelers at every fork in the road.
Mononoke
Any mischievous or troublesome creature/entity of uncertain origin.
Morinji-no-kama
Another name for bunbuku chagama, the bake-danuki teakettle.
Mōryō
A general term for various water demons that eat corpses.
Mujina
A shapeshifting badger spirit.
Myōbu
A title sometimes given to a higher-ranking kitsune.

N

Namahage
A ritual-disciplinary demon from the Oga Peninsula.
Namazu
A giant catfish dwelling beneath the earth, that causes earthquakes when it moves.
Nekomata
A malevolent cat yōkai with two tails.
Nikujin
Another name for nuppeppo.
Ningen
An enormous white sea creature with humanoid features, only recently invented.
Ningyo
A fish person or mermaid.
Nobusuma
A flying squirrel-like monster (possibly inspired by the Indian giant flying squirrel).
Noderabō
Strange creatures that stand near a temple bell.
Noppera-bō
A faceless ghost that enjoys scaring people.
Nozuchi
A fat snake-like creature.
Nogitsune
A dangerous type of kitsune that is known to possess people.
Nue
A Japanese chimera with the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the legs of a tiger, and a snake-headed tail. It plagued the emperor with nightmares in the Heike Monogatari.
Nukekubi
A vicious humanlike monster whose head detaches from its body, often confused with the much more peaceful rokurokubi, whose neck merely extends.
Nuppeppo
An animated lump of decaying human flesh with vaguely human features.
Nure-onna
A snake-like monster with a woman's head, who appears on the seashore.
Nuribotoke
An animated corpse with blackened flesh and dangling eyeballs.
Nurikabe
A ghostly wall that traps travelers at night.
Nurarihyon
A strange large-headed character who sneaks into houses on busy evenings.
Nyūdō-bōzu
A yōkai that grows taller the further one looks up.
Nyūnaisuzume
Sparrows that flew from the mouth of exiled poet Fujiwara-no Sanekata.

O

Obake
Various shapeshifting spirits; also known as bakemono.
Obariyon
A yōkai which rides piggyback on a human victim and becomes unbearably heavy.
Oboroguruma
An oxen cart with a face in its carriage.
Oiwa
The ghost of a woman with a distorted face who was murdered by her husband. One of the most famous onryō.
Ōkaburo
A cross-dressing yōkai.
Ōgama
A giant toad which breathes rainbow-like smoke and wields a giant spear against whoever attacks it.
Ōkami
A powerful wolf spirit that either takes a person's life or protects it, depending on the actions one does in their life.
Okiku
The plate-counting ghost of a servant girl who met a tragic end.
Ōkubi
The huge face of a woman which appears in the sky, either portending disaster or causing it.
Okuri-inu
A spectral dog which follows lone travelers, attacking them if they trip. Similar to the Black dog of English folklore.
Ōmagatoki
The moment of dusk, when the spirit world and the material world overlap.
Ōmukade
A giant, human-eating centipede that lives in the mountains.
Oni
The classic Japanese demon. It is an ogre-like creature which often has horns.
Onibaba
The demonic hag of Adachigahara.
Onibi
A demonic flame which sucks out the life of those who come too close to it.
Onihitokuchi
A species of one-eyed oni that kill and eat humans.
Onikuma
A bipedal bear yōkai that carries livestock out of villages at night.
Onmoraki
A bird-demon created from the spirits of freshly dead corpses.
Ōnyūdō
Wastebasket taxon for all 'priestly' demons.
Onryō
A vengeful ghost formed from powerful feelings like rage or sorrow.
Otoroshi
A hairy creature that perches on torii gates to shrines and temples.
Onmyōji
A human who has powers like those of a yōkai, employed by the Imperial court.
Osakabehime
An old woman yōkai who resides in Himeji Castle and who can read and manipulate hearts.

R

Raijin
The Shinto god of thunder.
Raijū
A doglike beast that falls to earth in a lightning bolt.
Rōjinbi
A ghostly fire that appears with an old person.
Rokurokubi
A person, usually female, whose neck can stretch indefinitely, as opposed to the nukekubi, whose head detaches completely.
Ryuu
The Japanese dragon.

S

Sa Gojō
The water monster Sha Wujing from Journey to the West, often interpreted in Japan as a kappa.
Samebito
A shark-man from the undersea Dragon Palace.
Sankai
An amorphous afterbirth spirit that takes the place of a baby if a pregnant mother is not properly cared for.
Sansei
A humanoid yokai with a single leg twisted backwards.
Sarakazoe
A type of onibi that appears as a counting plate.
Satori
A mountain-dwelling monkey-like creature that can read one's thoughts.
Sazae-oni
A turban snail of great age, which has gained the ability to turn into a woman.
Sesshō-seki
The poisonous "killing stones" which Tamamo-no-Mae's spirit transformed into.
Seiryū
The Japanese version of the Chinese Azure Dragon.
Shachihoko
A tiger-headed fish whose image is often used in architecture.
Shibaemon-tanuki
A bake-danuki from Awaji Island.
Shichinin misaki
A group of seven ghosts who sicken the living, seeking to ascend to Heaven by forcing their victims to take their place.
Shidaidaka
A size-changing humanoid yōkai that appears above roads.
Shikigami
A spirit summoned to do the bidding of an onmyōji.
Shikome
Wild women sent by Izanami to harm Izanagi as he fled the Underworld.
Shinigami
Malevolent spirits that appear where people have died violently and try to lure others to their deaths.
Shiranui
A mysterious flame seen over the seas in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Shirime
An apparition in the shape of a man having an eye in the place of his anus.
Shirōneri
Possessed mosquito nettings or dust clothes.
Shiryō
The souls of the dead, the opposite of ikiryo.
Shisa
The Okinawan version of the shishi.
Shishi
The paired lion-dogs that guard the entrances of temples.
Shōjō
Red-haired sea sprites who love alcohol.
Shōkera
A creature which peeks in through the skylights of old houses.
Shuten-doji
A particularly powerful oni lord.
Sōjōbō
The famous daitengu of Mount Kurama.
Suiko
Another name for the kappa.
Son Gokū
The monkey king Sun Wukong from Journey to the West.
Sunakake Baba
An old woman who throws sand into people's faces.
Sunekosuri
A dog-like yōkai that rubs against people's legs when it is raining.
Suzaku
The Japanese version of the Chinese Vermilion Bird.
Suzuri-no-tamashii
An inkstone spirit.

T

Taka-onna
A female spirit that can stretch its waist to peer inside buildings.
Tamamo-no-Mae
A wicked nine-tailed fox who appeared as a courtesan to beguile Emperor Konoe.
Tanuki
The Japanese raccoon dog. In folklore, tanuki have the ability to shapeshift.
Teke Teke
The vengeful spirit of a slain schoolgirl, with a half upper-torso body, who goes around killing people by slicing them in half at the waist by using a scythe, thusly mimicking her own disfigurement.
Ten
A mischievous shapeshifting weasel.
Tengu
A wise demon with two variants: a red-skinned old man with a long nose, or a birdlike demon.
Tenjōkudari
A female yōkai that crawls on the ceiling.
Tenka
A type of ghost lights.
Tenko
An elderly fox spirit that has reached the full extent of its power.
Tennin
The Japanese version of angels.
Te-no-me
A ghostly blind man with his eyes on his palms.
Teratsutsuki
The onryō of a man who lived in the 6th century.
Tesso
A priest who was snubbed by the emperor and became a swarm of rats which laid waste to a rival temple.
Tōfu-kozō
A yōkai that appears as a young boy carrying a plate of tofu.
Tsuchigumo
A clan of spider-like yōkai.
Tsuchinoko
A legendary serpentine monster. It is now a cryptid resembling a fat snake.
Tsukinowaguma
A legendary bear.[2]
Tsukuyomi
The Shinto moon god.
Tsukumogami
An animated tea caddy that Matsunaga Hisahide used to bargain a peace with Oda Nobunaga. It is now understood to mean any 100-year-old inanimate object that has come to life.
Tsurube-otoshi
A monster that drops out of the tops of trees to attack and eat those who pass beneath the trees.

U

Ubume
The spirit of a woman who died in childbirth, lingering to protect the child she left behind.
Uma-no-ashi
A disembodied horse's leg which dangles from a tree and kicks passersby.
Umibōzu
A giant monster appearing on the surface of the sea.
Umi-nyōbō
A female sea monster who steals fish.
Ungaikyō
A possessed mirror that distorts all reflections into monstrous images.
Ushi-no-tokimairi
A curse cast at the Hour of the Ox (between 1 and 3 in the morning) by a black magic user, with various harmful effects.
Ushi-oni
The name given to an assortment of ox-headed monsters.
Ushi-onna
A kimono-clad woman with a cow's head.
Ushirogami
A one-eyed, footless spirit.
Uwan
A spirit named for the sound it makes when surprising people.

W

Waira
A large beast that lurks in the mountains, about which little is known.
Wani
A water monster comparable to an alligator or crocodile. A related word has been applied to the saltwater crocodile.
Wanyūdō
A flaming wheel with a man's head in the center, that sucks out the soul of anyone who sees it.

Y

Yadōkai
The spirits of low-ranking monks who have turned to mischief.
Yama-biko
Small mountain-dwelling creatures that create echoes.
Yamajijii
An old man spirit with one eye and one leg.
Yamako
An ape-like occasionally-cannibalistic creature that can read minds.
Yamaoroshi
A possessed vegetable grater, almost porcupine-like in appearance.
Yamata no Orochi
The eight-headed dragon/serpent monster slain by the god Susanoo.
Yama-inu
A dog-like mountain spirit that may appear to travelers on mountain roads. It may be friendly, or may attack and kill the traveler, depending on the tale (also see the Japanese wolf).
Yama-uba
A crone-like yōkai who dwells in the mountains.
Yashima no Hage-tanuki
A bake-danuki that protects the Taira clan.
Yatagarasu
The three-legged crow of Amaterasu.
Yato-no-kami
Deadly snake spirits which infest fields.
Yobuko
A mountain-dwelling spirit that is said to be the reason echoes occur.
Yofune-nushi
A sea serpent that terrorized one of the Oki Islands and demanded virgin sacrifices.
Yōkai
A class of supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore. They can also be called ayakashi (妖怪), mononoke (物の怪), or mamono.
Yomotsu-shikome
The hags of the underworld.
Yonakinoishi
A stone from Shizuoka prefecture that is said to cry at night.
Yōsei
The Japanese version of fairies.
Yosuzume
A mysterious bird yokai that sings at night, sometimes indicating that the okuri-inu is near.
Yubaba
A witch who can shapeshift and use telekinesis.
Yuki-onna
A malevolent spirit that manifests as a beautiful woman wandering snowy mountain passes.
Yurei
Ghosts in a more Western sense, in that they are the lingering spirits of the dead.

Z

Zashiki-warashi
A protective childlike house spirit.
Zennyo Ryūō
A rain-making dragon deity.
Zorigami
An animated clock.
Zuijin
Warrior-guardian spirits that watch over shrine and temple gates.
Zunbera-bō
Another name for the noppera-bō.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Oriental Economic Review". Oriental Information Agency. 14 July 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women who Run with the Wolves (1996), Ch. 12.

External links

  • Photo Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist and Shinto Deities
  • 百物語怪談会 Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai | Translated Japanese Ghost Stories and Tales of the Weird and the Strange, a blog by Mizuki Shigeru
  • 133 Yokai Statues on Mizuki Shigeru Road

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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources List of legendary creatures from Japan news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message The following is a list of demons ghosts kami obake yōkai yurei and other legendary creatures that are notable in Japanese folklore and mythology Contents 0 9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZA EditAbumi guchi A furry creature formed from the stirrup of a mounted military commander who worked for Yamata no Orochi Abura akago An infant ghost who licks the oil out of andon lamps Abura sumashi A large headed spirit who lives on a mountain pass in Kumamoto Prefecture Agubanba あぐばんば lit ash crone A blind cannibalistic female yōkai who hails from Akita Prefecture She mainly targets young women who have just come of age Also known as Agubanba 灰坊主 lit ash shaver Akabeko A red cow involved in the construction of Enzō ji in Yanaizu Fukushima Akamanto A ghost in a red mantle that offers either red or blue toilet paper rolls in bathrooms then kills whoever answers based on their choice flaying for red strangulation for blue Akaname A spirit who licks off filth in untidy bathrooms Akashita A creature that looms in a black cloud over a floodgate Akateko A red child s hand dangling out of a tree accompanied by a hypnotically beautiful woman standing beneath the tree Akkorokamui A giant Ainu monster resembling an octopus Akurojin no hi A ghostly fire from Mie Prefecture that appears on rainy nights and sickens those who do not flee from it Akubōzu A spirit that lives in the ashes of hearths from Akita Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture Akugyo An enormous species of sea monster found in the waters around Japan Amabie A Japanese mermaid yōkai Amaburakosagi A ritual disciplinary demon from Shikoku Amamehagi A ritual disciplinary demon from Hokuriku Amanojaku A small demon that instigates people into wickedness Amanozako A monstrous goddess mentioned in the Kujiki Amazake babaa An old woman who asks for sweet sake and brings disease to whoever answers whether they give her any or not Amefurikozō A little boy spirit who plays in the rain Amemasu An Ainu creature resembling a giant fish or whale Ameonna A rain making female spirit Amikiri A net cutting bird headed crustacean armed snake bodied spirit Amorōnagu A female tennyo from the island of Amami Ōshima who is said to bathe in pools and waterfalls in ravines Amaterasu The Shinto sun goddess Anmo A ritual disciplinary demon from Iwate Prefecture Aoandon The demonic spirit which arises from an andon lamp at the end of a Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai Aobōzu A blue monk who kidnaps children Aonyōbō A female ghost who lurks in an abandoned imperial palace Aosaginohi A luminescent night heron Arikura no baba An old woman with magical powers Ashimagari A spirit which entangles the legs of travelers at night Ashinagatenaga A pair of characters one with long legs and the other with long arms Ayakashi A maritime phenomenon considered to be the work of funayurei Azukiarai Azukitogi A spirit that washes azuki beans on a shoreline B EditBake kujira A ghostly whale skeleton that drifts along the coastline of Shimane Prefecture accompanied by strange birds and fish Bakeneko A shape shifting cat spirit Bakezōri A spirit inhabiting a straw sandal zōri Baku Supernatural beasts that resemble a tapir and devour dreams and nightmares Basan A large fire breathing chicken monster Bashōnosei A banana tree spirit Betobeto san An invisible spirit which follows people at night making the sound of footsteps Binbōgami A spirit that brings poverty and other such misery Biwa bokuboku A biwa inhabited by a spirit Buruburu A spirit which clings to people inducing cowardice and shivering Byakko The Japanese equivalent of the Chinese White Tiger Byōbunozoki A tsukumogami that emerges from byōbu to spy on people C EditChōchinobake A possessed chōchin lantern Chōchinbi Demonic flames which appear in the footpaths between rice fields D EditDaidarabotchi A giant responsible for creating the geographical features of Japan as it moves and sleeps Daitengu The most powerful tengu each of whom lives on a separate mountain Danzaburou danuki A bake danuki from Sado Island Datsue ba An old woman in the Underworld who removes the clothes or skin if unclothed of the dead Dodomeki A female demon with long arms covered in bird s eyes Dōnotsura A headless humanoid yōkai with its face on its torso Dōsojin The generic name for a type of Shinto guardian or spirit considered to be the deities of borders and paths E EditEnenra A monster made of smoke and darkness Enkō Kappa of Shikoku and western Honshu F EditFujin The Shinto wind god Furi A monkey like yōkai Funayurei The angry ghosts of people who died at sea Furaribi A birdlike creature engulfed in flames that flies aimlessly Furutsubaki no rei A soul sucking plant Furu utsubo A beloved quiver of slain archers Futakuchi onna A ghostly woman with a second mouth on the back of her head G EditGagoze A demon known for having attacked young priests at Gangō ji temple Gaki The perpetually starving ghosts of people who were especially greedy in life Gashadokuro A giant skeleton that is the spirit of the dead left unburied after a sufficiently large disaster Also known as Gaikotsu Genbu The Japanese equivalent of the Chinese Black Tortoise Goryō The vengeful spirits of dead nobles and martyrs Gozu and Mezu Two notable guards of the Underworld one with an ox s head and the other with a horse s head Guhin Another name for tengu Gyuki Another name for Ushi oni H EditHakanohi A fire which sprouts from the base of graves Hakuja no Myojin A white serpent deity 1 Hakutaku A yak like beast which handed down knowledge on harmful spirits Hanako san The spirit of a young World War II era girl who inhabits and haunts school restrooms Hannya A Noh mask representing a jealous female demon Haradashi A creature with a giant face on its stomach Harionago A woman with a thornlike barb on the tip of each strand of her hair Hashihime A woman whose jealousy turned her into an evil spirit associated with the bridge at Uji Heikegani Crabs with human faces on their shells said to be the spirits of the warriors killed in the Battle of Dan no ura Hibagon The Japanese version of Bigfoot or the Yeti Hiderigami Spirits said to bring droughts Hihi A baboon like Chinese yōkai Hikeshibaba An old woman who extinguishes lanterns Hinode The moment of dawn when the material world and the spirit world overlap Hitodama A fireball ghost that appears when someone dies signifying the dead person s spirit Hitotsume kozō A one eyed child spirit Hitotsume nyudō A one eyed monk spirit Hiyoribō The spirit which stops rainfall Hoji The wicked spirit of Tamamo no Mae Hone onna A skeleton woman who seeks love but brings death Hō ō The legendary Fenghuang bird of China Hoshi no Tama A ball guarded by a kitsune fox which can give the one who obtains it power to force the kitsune to help them It is said to hold some reserves of the kitsune s power Hōsōshi A ritual exorcist Hotoke A term used to denote a deceased person Hyakki Yakō The demons night parade Hyōsube A kind of kappa covered in hair I EditIbaraki doji A particularly famous offspring of an oni Ichiren Bozu Animated prayer beads Ikiryō Essentially a living ghost as it is a living person s soul outside of their body Ikuchi A sea serpent that travels over boats in an arc while dripping oil Inugami A dog spirit created worshipped and employed by a family via sorcery Inugami Gyoubu A type of bake danuki Isonade A giant shark like sea monster with a barb covered tail Issie A lake creature similar to the Loch Ness Monster Itsumade A fire breathing birdlike monster Ittan momen A possessed roll of cotton that attempts to smother people by wrapping itself around their faces Iyaya A woman whose face is reflected as that of an old man J EditJami A wicked mountain spirit Janjanbi Drifting fireballs named for the sound they make Jibakurei A spirit that protects a specific place Jikininki Ghosts of evil people that have been condemned to eat human corpses Jinmenju A tree with human faced fruits Jinmenken A human faced dog Jishin namazu A giant catfish dwelling beneath the earth which causes earthquakes and tsunamis when it moves It was blamed during the Ansei earthquake and tsunami citation needed Jorōgumo A spider yōkai that shapeshifts into an attractive woman to lure men in as prey Jatai An animated folding screen cloth Jubokko A vampiric tree that grows on old battlefields K EditKahaku 河伯 Another name for a kappa Kakurezato Villages hidden deep in the mountains where the inhabitants live peacefully and without conflict Only those especially good of heart may stumble upon kakurezato but cannot revisit upon leaving Kamaitachi The slashing sickle clawed weasel that haunts the mountains and rides dust devils to travel Kamikiri A yōkai that secretly cuts people s hair Kangiten The elephant headed god of Bliss comparable to Ganesha Kambarinyudō A monk spirit that spies on people while they are using the toilet Kameosa A possessed sake jar Kanedama A spirit that carries money Kappa A famous water monster with a water filled head and a love of cucumbers Karasu tengu A type of crow demon Karura An anthropomorphic eagle akin to the Hindu Garuda Kasa obake A possessed paper umbrella monster Kasha A cart like demon that descends from the sky or a cat like demon which carries away the corpses of evildoers Katawaguruma A type of wanyudo with an anguished woman instead of a monk s head in a burning wheel Kawauso River otter spirits Kawaakago A river spirit that pretends to be a crying baby Kechibi Fireballs with human faces inside Keneō An old man seated in the underworld who weighs the clothes given to him by Datsue ba Keukegen A small dog like creature covered entirely in long hair Kijimuna Tree sprites from Okinawa that resemble red headed small children Kirin The Japanese version of the Chinese qilin which is part dragon and part deer with antlers fish scales and an ox s tail Said to be a protective creature and the guardian of the metal element Kitsune Mischievous shapeshifting fox spirits with multiple tails Kitsunebi Flames created by a kitsune Kitsune no yomeiri A procession of ghost lights Kiyohime A woman who transformed into a serpent demon out of the rage of unrequited love Kodama Spirits that lives in trees said to be the cause of echoes Kokakuchō The ubume bird Komainu A pair of lion dogs that guard the entrances of temples Konaki jiji The vengeful spirit of an infant left to die it cries until someone picks it up then turns into a heavy stone and crushes them Konoha tengu A bird like tengu Koromodako An octopus like yōkai that lives in the waters bordering Kyoto and Fukui Koropokkuru A little person from Ainu folklore Kosenjōbi Fireballs that float over former battlefields Kosode no te A possessed kosode Kotobuki A Japanese chimera with the features of the beasts from the Chinese Zodiac a rat s head rabbit ears ox horns a rooster s comb a sheep s beard a dragon s neck a back like that of a boar a tiger s shoulders and belly monkey arms a dog s hindquarters and a snake s tail Kubikajiri A headless beast that stinks of fresh blood and eats the heads of its victims Kuchisake onna The malevolent spirit of a woman whose face was disfigured into a Glasgow smile who attacks people to inflict identical mutilations upon those few she doesn t kill outright Kuda gitsune A small fox like animal used in sorcery Kudan A cow with a human face Kuzuryu A nine headed dragon deity Kyonshii The Japanese version of the Chinese hopping vampire known as jiangshi Kumo Yōkai A Japanese spider demon Kunekune A long slender strip of paper that wiggles on rice or barley fields during hot summers Kyōkotsu A skeletal figure that emerges from a well Kyōrinrin Possessed scrolls or papers M EditMekurabe The multiplying skulls that menaced Taira no Kiyomori in his courtyard Menreiki A spirit composed of gigaku masks Miage nyudō A spirit that grows taller as fast as you can look up at it Mikaribaba A one eyed old woman Mikoshi nyudō A bald goblin with an extending neck Misaki A term for various high ranking divine spirits Mizuchi A dangerous water dragon Mokumokuren A swarm of eyes that appear on a paper sliding door in an old building Momonjii An old man who waits for travelers at every fork in the road Mononoke Any mischievous or troublesome creature entity of uncertain origin Morinji no kama Another name for bunbuku chagama the bake danuki teakettle Mōryō A general term for various water demons that eat corpses Mujina A shapeshifting badger spirit Myōbu A title sometimes given to a higher ranking kitsune N EditNamahage A ritual disciplinary demon from the Oga Peninsula Namazu A giant catfish dwelling beneath the earth that causes earthquakes when it moves Nekomata A malevolent cat yōkai with two tails Nikujin Another name for nuppeppo Ningen An enormous white sea creature with humanoid features only recently invented Ningyo A fish person or mermaid Nobusuma A flying squirrel like monster possibly inspired by the Indian giant flying squirrel Noderabō Strange creatures that stand near a temple bell Noppera bō A faceless ghost that enjoys scaring people Nozuchi A fat snake like creature Nogitsune A dangerous type of kitsune that is known to possess people Nue A Japanese chimera with the head of a monkey the body of a raccoon dog the legs of a tiger and a snake headed tail It plagued the emperor with nightmares in the Heike Monogatari Nukekubi A vicious humanlike monster whose head detaches from its body often confused with the much more peaceful rokurokubi whose neck merely extends Nuppeppo An animated lump of decaying human flesh with vaguely human features Nure onna A snake like monster with a woman s head who appears on the seashore Nuribotoke An animated corpse with blackened flesh and dangling eyeballs Nurikabe A ghostly wall that traps travelers at night Nurarihyon A strange large headed character who sneaks into houses on busy evenings Nyudō bōzu A yōkai that grows taller the further one looks up Nyunaisuzume Sparrows that flew from the mouth of exiled poet Fujiwara no Sanekata O EditObake Various shapeshifting spirits also known as bakemono Obariyon A yōkai which rides piggyback on a human victim and becomes unbearably heavy Oboroguruma An oxen cart with a face in its carriage Oiwa The ghost of a woman with a distorted face who was murdered by her husband One of the most famous onryō Ōkaburo A cross dressing yōkai Ōgama A giant toad which breathes rainbow like smoke and wields a giant spear against whoever attacks it Ōkami A powerful wolf spirit that either takes a person s life or protects it depending on the actions one does in their life Okiku The plate counting ghost of a servant girl who met a tragic end Ōkubi The huge face of a woman which appears in the sky either portending disaster or causing it Okuri inu A spectral dog which follows lone travelers attacking them if they trip Similar to the Black dog of English folklore Ōmagatoki The moment of dusk when the spirit world and the material world overlap Ōmukade A giant human eating centipede that lives in the mountains Oni The classic Japanese demon It is an ogre like creature which often has horns Onibaba The demonic hag of Adachigahara Onibi A demonic flame which sucks out the life of those who come too close to it Onihitokuchi A species of one eyed oni that kill and eat humans Onikuma A bipedal bear yōkai that carries livestock out of villages at night Onmoraki A bird demon created from the spirits of freshly dead corpses Ōnyudō Wastebasket taxon for all priestly demons Onryō A vengeful ghost formed from powerful feelings like rage or sorrow Otoroshi A hairy creature that perches on torii gates to shrines and temples Onmyōji A human who has powers like those of a yōkai employed by the Imperial court Osakabehime An old woman yōkai who resides in Himeji Castle and who can read and manipulate hearts R EditRaijin The Shinto god of thunder Raiju A doglike beast that falls to earth in a lightning bolt Rōjinbi A ghostly fire that appears with an old person Rokurokubi A person usually female whose neck can stretch indefinitely as opposed to the nukekubi whose head detaches completely Ryuu The Japanese dragon S EditSa Gojō The water monster Sha Wujing from Journey to the West often interpreted in Japan as a kappa Samebito A shark man from the undersea Dragon Palace Sankai An amorphous afterbirth spirit that takes the place of a baby if a pregnant mother is not properly cared for Sansei A humanoid yokai with a single leg twisted backwards Sarakazoe A type of onibi that appears as a counting plate Satori A mountain dwelling monkey like creature that can read one s thoughts Sazae oni A turban snail of great age which has gained the ability to turn into a woman Sesshō seki The poisonous killing stones which Tamamo no Mae s spirit transformed into Seiryu The Japanese version of the Chinese Azure Dragon Shachihoko A tiger headed fish whose image is often used in architecture Shibaemon tanuki A bake danuki from Awaji Island Shichinin misaki A group of seven ghosts who sicken the living seeking to ascend to Heaven by forcing their victims to take their place Shidaidaka A size changing humanoid yōkai that appears above roads Shikigami A spirit summoned to do the bidding of an onmyōji Shikome Wild women sent by Izanami to harm Izanagi as he fled the Underworld Shinigami Malevolent spirits that appear where people have died violently and try to lure others to their deaths Shiranui A mysterious flame seen over the seas in Kumamoto Prefecture Shirime An apparition in the shape of a man having an eye in the place of his anus Shirōneri Possessed mosquito nettings or dust clothes Shiryō The souls of the dead the opposite of ikiryo Shisa The Okinawan version of the shishi Shishi The paired lion dogs that guard the entrances of temples Shōjō Red haired sea sprites who love alcohol Shōkera A creature which peeks in through the skylights of old houses Shuten doji A particularly powerful oni lord Sōjōbō The famous daitengu of Mount Kurama Suiko Another name for the kappa Son Goku The monkey king Sun Wukong from Journey to the West Sunakake Baba An old woman who throws sand into people s faces Sunekosuri A dog like yōkai that rubs against people s legs when it is raining Suzaku The Japanese version of the Chinese Vermilion Bird Suzuri no tamashii An inkstone spirit T EditTaka onna A female spirit that can stretch its waist to peer inside buildings Tamamo no Mae A wicked nine tailed fox who appeared as a courtesan to beguile Emperor Konoe Tanuki The Japanese raccoon dog In folklore tanuki have the ability to shapeshift Teke Teke The vengeful spirit of a slain schoolgirl with a half upper torso body who goes around killing people by slicing them in half at the waist by using a scythe thusly mimicking her own disfigurement Ten A mischievous shapeshifting weasel Tengu A wise demon with two variants a red skinned old man with a long nose or a birdlike demon Tenjōkudari A female yōkai that crawls on the ceiling Tenka A type of ghost lights Tenko An elderly fox spirit that has reached the full extent of its power Tennin The Japanese version of angels Te no me A ghostly blind man with his eyes on his palms Teratsutsuki The onryō of a man who lived in the 6th century Tesso A priest who was snubbed by the emperor and became a swarm of rats which laid waste to a rival temple Tōfu kozō A yōkai that appears as a young boy carrying a plate of tofu Tsuchigumo A clan of spider like yōkai Tsuchinoko A legendary serpentine monster It is now a cryptid resembling a fat snake Tsukinowaguma A legendary bear 2 Tsukuyomi The Shinto moon god Tsukumogami An animated tea caddy that Matsunaga Hisahide used to bargain a peace with Oda Nobunaga It is now understood to mean any 100 year old inanimate object that has come to life Tsurube otoshi A monster that drops out of the tops of trees to attack and eat those who pass beneath the trees U EditUbume The spirit of a woman who died in childbirth lingering to protect the child she left behind Uma no ashi A disembodied horse s leg which dangles from a tree and kicks passersby Umibōzu A giant monster appearing on the surface of the sea Umi nyōbō A female sea monster who steals fish Ungaikyō A possessed mirror that distorts all reflections into monstrous images Ushi no tokimairi A curse cast at the Hour of the Ox between 1 and 3 in the morning by a black magic user with various harmful effects Ushi oni The name given to an assortment of ox headed monsters Ushi onna A kimono clad woman with a cow s head Ushirogami A one eyed footless spirit Uwan A spirit named for the sound it makes when surprising people W EditWaira A large beast that lurks in the mountains about which little is known Wani A water monster comparable to an alligator or crocodile A related word has been applied to the saltwater crocodile Wanyudō A flaming wheel with a man s head in the center that sucks out the soul of anyone who sees it Y EditYadōkai The spirits of low ranking monks who have turned to mischief Yama biko Small mountain dwelling creatures that create echoes Yamajijii An old man spirit with one eye and one leg Yamako An ape like occasionally cannibalistic creature that can read minds Yamaoroshi A possessed vegetable grater almost porcupine like in appearance Yamata no Orochi The eight headed dragon serpent monster slain by the god Susanoo Yama inu A dog like mountain spirit that may appear to travelers on mountain roads It may be friendly or may attack and kill the traveler depending on the tale also see the Japanese wolf Yama uba A crone like yōkai who dwells in the mountains Yashima no Hage tanuki A bake danuki that protects the Taira clan Yatagarasu The three legged crow of Amaterasu Yato no kami Deadly snake spirits which infest fields Yobuko A mountain dwelling spirit that is said to be the reason echoes occur Yofune nushi A sea serpent that terrorized one of the Oki Islands and demanded virgin sacrifices Yōkai A class of supernatural monsters spirits and demons in Japanese folklore They can also be called ayakashi 妖怪 mononoke 物の怪 or mamono Yomotsu shikome The hags of the underworld Yonakinoishi A stone from Shizuoka prefecture that is said to cry at night Yōsei The Japanese version of fairies Yosuzume A mysterious bird yokai that sings at night sometimes indicating that the okuri inu is near Yubaba A witch who can shapeshift and use telekinesis Yuki onna A malevolent spirit that manifests as a beautiful woman wandering snowy mountain passes Yurei Ghosts in a more Western sense in that they are the lingering spirits of the dead Z EditZashiki warashi A protective childlike house spirit Zennyo Ryuō A rain making dragon deity Zorigami An animated clock Zuijin Warrior guardian spirits that watch over shrine and temple gates Zunbera bō Another name for the noppera bō See also EditJapanese mythology KaidanReferences Edit The Oriental Economic Review Oriental Information Agency 14 July 2018 via Google Books Clarissa Pinkola Estes Women who Run with the Wolves 1996 Ch 12 External links EditPhoto Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist and Shinto Deities 百物語怪談会 Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai Translated Japanese Ghost Stories and Tales of the Weird and the Strange a blog by Mizuki Shigeru 133 Yokai Statues on Mizuki Shigeru Road Portals Asia Japan Mythology Religion Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of legendary creatures from Japan amp oldid 1131638622, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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