Japan
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Yokai
Yokai is a name shared by many forms of mythical creatures from Japan. The term Yokai refers to pretty much any unknown creature or being. The study of Yokai is called Yokaigaku. Yokai take various forms and are morally ambiguous. Some may have deceptive features, being attractive and dangerous, or ugly and friendly. Many have both human and animal features and various kinds of powers, frequently shapeshifting. Some have no physical form at all and are only noted by sounds or feelings. There are some specific forms of Yokai called Tsukumogami created when objects reach a great age. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United…
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Koryo
The Koryo is a form of yokai from Japan and a variation of the Kitsune. It’s a fox spirit whose name translates to “ghost fox.” It’s thought to haunt and bewitch people. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006. Picken, Stuart D. B.. Essentials of Shinto: an analytical guide to principal teachings. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury Academic, 1994.
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Kawauso/Kawaso
The Kawauso is a form of Yokai from Japanese myth sometimes equated to the Kappa. They’re known to cause mischief like Kitsune and Tanuki. They are related to river otters and can be found all across the country. Despite this, the real Japanese river otter was declared extinct in 2012. They have been depicted walking upright and wearing sedge hats. They commonly take the form of attractive people, often women, sometimes attempting to lure in victims they then kill. Other times they challenge humans to sumo wrestling matches. Citations: Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. United States, University of California Press, 2015.
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White Robed Death Goddess
The White Robed Death Goddess is a mysterious figure recorded in a story posted on the internet. The author was sick with pneumonia and ended up being hospitalized for half a month. Nurses would regularly check on them, but there was another person who repeatedly entered the room. The author assumed this person was a nurse in her thirties, who would come in and do nothing but stare at them. The author later asked a nurse who it was, only for her to say there was no one who would have the time to do that. Eventually, they got out of the hospital, only to return later after breaking a…
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Nuppeppō/Nuppefuhō
The Nuppeppō is a yokai from Japanese myth. Its name may be a corruption of slang referring to someone wearing excessive makeup. Some think these creatures are related to Nopperabō, while others believe they’re the botched transformations of shapeshifting yokai. They’re the size of a child, but resemble humanoid masses of flesh with undeveloped hands and feet, with indiscernible facial features. They’re notably hideous and smell strongly of rotten meat. They appear at night and cause no harm other than disturbing those who see them, though they do enjoy the sickening effect they have. They’re incredibly fast and difficult to catch despite their passive demeanor. They can be found in…
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Chōchin Obake/Chochinobake/Obakechochin
The Chochinobake is a form of yokai from Japanese myth. They’re a form of tsukumogami, meaning an inanimate object that gains sentience after years of neglect. With this creature, the object that transforms is a chochin, a form of paper lantern with a spiral frame made of bamboo. These lanterns are commonly hung outside of businesses and are extremely common. They don’t appear in the oldest yokai depictions and are thought to be related to an older yokai called Burabura. These are Kitsune disguising themselves as lanterns in rice fields rather than tsukumogami like Chochinobake. They resemble worn cochin lamps with a massive tear for a mouth containing a large…
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Kappa
The Kappa is a water-dwelling yokai from Japanese myth. Its name can be translated as “river child.” Sometimes, the Kappa are revered as a form of water gods. They are often depicted with scaly skin that is red, green, or blue. Their faces consist of bulging eyes and turtle beaks. Commonly they have a bowl-like dip in the top of their skull meant to hold water. They’re amphibious or reptilian and move effectively in water, but are clumsy on land. They have webbed hands and feet that lack thumbs, and a turtle shell on their backs. Oddly they have an elastic-like waterproof skin that smells like fish and can be…
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Jorōgumo
The Jorōgumo is a form of yokai from Japan. They appear as beautiful women to lure in men, and when they approach they turn into monstrous spiders and consume their prey. They can be found in forests and cities. Some believed they were created by the gods to punish evildoers by turning them into immortal monsters. It was believed only someone wise and courageous could defeat a Jorōgumo. They represent transformation, rebirth, female strength, seduction, and beauty. There are stories of Jorogumo falling in love and abandoning their evil ways. A notable example is a story where a woodcutter saw a beautiful woman by a lake others knew to be…
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Akusara
Akusara is a supernatural figure from Japanese urban legends, similar to Kuchisake-Onna or Hasshaku-Sama. Her origin is unknown, but she’s known to appear before men she likes. She is described as standing over two meters tall, with long hair, wearing a red coat and a broad-brimmed red hat. Her left arm is covered in scars, she has no eyes, and her mouth is a grin seemingly cut from ear to ear. She commonly peeks over fences, and those who see her often face a death curse. Citations: Devlin, Tara a. Kowabana: ‘True’ Japanese Scary Stories from Around the Internet: Volume One. N.p., Independently Published, 2019.
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Obake/Bakemono
The Obake is a ghostly form of yokai from Japan. Their name means “changed thing,” and they have many evil powers.They can change visibility and solidity at will. They may utilize deception, and while they are not always evil, female Obake are considered more evil. Female Obake may use seduction to enhance terror. Most Obake are humans who transform after death into physical manifestations of their nature in life and sometimes eat flesh. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
