Yokai
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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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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.
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Hōsōgami
The Hosōgami is a form of Yokai or Kami from Japanese myth. He was considered the god of smallpox and he was offered food in exchange for protection. The color red was often used to ward off Hosōgami, so patients were given red caps, socks, and sheets. People would also consume a dish called Sekihan made from red beans and rice. Rituals involving the Hosōgami would involve Gohei staff decorated with red strips of paper and some districts made straw dolls with sekihan balls and Waraji straw sandals and put them into the road, to give the Hosōgami an easy trip home. Small coins may be added to make the…
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Yurei
The Yurei is a ghost from Japanese folklore. They are created when a person dies unexpectedly or is murdered or commits suicide. They return from death to enact revenge. They are often seen wearing white kimonos and headbands. This is due to the color white representing mourning. They also often have wild hair, solid upper bodies, fading lower bodies, and feet that are not visible. Citations: 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.
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Umibozu
The Umibozu is a Japanese Yōkai whose true form is unknown. They appear human in shape with inky black skin, large round eyes and bald heads. They are only seen from the shoulders up probably because they are just that big. They are easily the size of a ship if not much larger. They appear on calm nights and cause bad weather and rocky seas to pop up suddenly and without warning. Some say they are somewhat ghostly. They are sometimes believed to be the souls of drowned priests that were thrown overboard. It was thought they would demand a barrel so they could scoop water into a ship to…
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Tsutsuga
The Tsutsuga are a form of shapeshifting Yokai from Japan. They are capable of taking the form of bugs, birds, vermin, will o wisps, fog, or recognizable religious figures. They sneak into houses at night to infect humans with various diseases and feed on the misery of those it makes sick. Many victims of the Tsutsuga become miserable enough in their sickness to commit suicide, which also feeds the Tsutsuga. The Kara-Mon gate has a bronze statue of one. Citations: La Boda, Sharon. International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania. United Kingdom, Fitzroy Dearborn, 1994. Guides, Insight. Insight Guides Japan (Travel Guide EBook). United Kingdom, Apa Publications, 2018. Maberry,…
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Teke Teke/Shaka Shaka/ Pata Pata/ Kata Kata/Koto Koto/ Hijikake Babā
The Teke Teke is a form of ghost from Japanese urban legends. The name is an onomatopoeia meant to reference the sound of them dragging themselves with their hands. They are almost always women and look like people cut in half at the waist. Despite the fact that they crawl, they are thought to be capable of keeping up with cars when in pursuit, sometimes reaching 150km per hour. They commonly carry scythes or sickles. Teke Teke can be found in urban areas, commonly along dark roads. Getting attacked by a Teke Teke is horrific, but stories are often unclear about the specifics of these attacks. Commonly victims are cut…
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Shinigami
The Shinigami are Yokai of death from Japanese myth. They are sometimes seen as spirits of the dead that possess the living and seek to harm them. They typically resemble humans with pale grey skin and inhuman features. They are drawn to death and linger around areas where people have just died. They thrive in areas where particularly gruesome deaths have occurred, as they haunt areas tainted by evil and look for people to possess. They haunt people and alter their behavior causing them to become obsessed with death and their own sins, eventually leading to suicide. They particularly like targeting bad people but will target anyone. Anyone who sees…
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Raiju
The Raiju is a Japanese Yokai. They are the companions of the god Raijin. Its name means “thunder animal” or “thunder beast.” This creature of lightning resembles a cat, badger, ball of fire, ball of lightning, monkey, raccoon, dog, weasel, white and blue wolf, or wolf made of lightning with a cry like thunder. They attack only during thunderstorms and are otherwise harmless. They may fall asleep in a person’s belly button, which kills the person when the god Raiden throws lightning bolts to wake the Raiju up. They become agitated in storms and jump from tree to tree. Lightning strikes on trees or houses are said to be Raiju claw…
