妖怪 – Japanese Monsters
If you are interested in Japan it is likely at one point you heard about Yokai or 妖怪 in Japanese. These are what the traditional monsters you would find in Japanese Folklore are called. There are several different words for monster in Japanese.
However, when you say Yokai this word refers to specifically Japanese monsters most of the time. And there are a bunch of unique monsters in Japan. Here are a few of the most popular ones:
- 鬼
- 天狗
- 河童
- 化け狸
- 化け狐
- 化け猫
Table of Contents
鬼 – The Japanese Devil
鬼 is kind of like an ogre, kind of like a devil. They are one of if not the most common and popular types of 妖怪.
They can be red or even blue. 鬼 translates to devil, demon, troll, or ogre but the best way to refer to it is Oni since it is a specific monster in its own right and specific to Japan.
During the Japanese holiday Setsubun kids through beans at these 鬼. Or, more specifically people dressed like them or wearing masks.
天狗
天狗 are 妖怪 which have a long nose, wings and are dressed like ascetic Buddhist hermits known as Yamabushi or 山伏. They are one of the more powerful 妖怪 and have supernatural, or magical powers. Sometimes they are depicted having a bird’s beak instead of a long nose. These 天狗 are known as 烏天狗. This translates directly to crow Tengu.
河童
河童 are small, turtle-like creatures. They live in water and try to lure or drown people into the water. They have a bald spot on top of their head which they must keep wet in order to stay alive.
Transforming Animals
Not all Japanese monsters are purely made-up creatures. Some are actually real-life animals. In Japanese folklore often you will have a story of some animal turning into a person, or something else.
化け狸 – Shapeshifting Tanuki (raccoon-dog)
化け猫 – Shapeshifting Cat
There are a lot of stories in Japanese Folklore about these animals a lot. They will often do mischievous things but are not always bad.
