Japanese Mythology
Yamabiko: The Echo Spirit of Japanese Mountains
Discover Yamabiko, Japan’s mountain echo spirit. Learn how folklore, regional traditions, and Edo-period yōkai art shaped its many forms.
Yamabiko: The Echo Spirit of Japanese Mountains
Discover Yamabiko, Japan’s mountain echo spirit. Learn how folklore, regional traditions, and Edo-period yōkai art shaped its many forms.
Tanuki in Japanese Folklore: Shapeshifting Tric...
Meet the tanuki, Japan’s shapeshifting raccoon dog spirit. Explore famous folktales, its relationship to kitsune, and the meaning of tanuki statues.
Tanuki in Japanese Folklore: Shapeshifting Tric...
Meet the tanuki, Japan’s shapeshifting raccoon dog spirit. Explore famous folktales, its relationship to kitsune, and the meaning of tanuki statues.
Kawauso: The River Otter in Japanese Folklore
A 1985 folklore record from Miyakubo, Ehime, describes a kawauso as kappa-like and known for deceiving people near water. In that local account, saying “tamageta” after a suspicious splash could...
Kawauso: The River Otter in Japanese Folklore
A 1985 folklore record from Miyakubo, Ehime, describes a kawauso as kappa-like and known for deceiving people near water. In that local account, saying “tamageta” after a suspicious splash could...
Umi Nyōbō: The Sea Wife of an Izumo Folktale
In a 1913 Izumo account, a night watchman hides as an umi nyōbō enters a shed carrying a child and eats salted mackerel. The source records one regional tale, not...
Umi Nyōbō: The Sea Wife of an Izumo Folktale
In a 1913 Izumo account, a night watchman hides as an umi nyōbō enters a shed carrying a child and eats salted mackerel. The source records one regional tale, not...
Tatarimokke: The Owl Spirit of Aomori Folklore
A 1956 folklore record from Kanagi, Aomori, describes a belief that the spirit of a deceased infant could inhabit an owl and cry. The short account is regional and does...
Tatarimokke: The Owl Spirit of Aomori Folklore
A 1956 folklore record from Kanagi, Aomori, describes a belief that the spirit of a deceased infant could inhabit an owl and cry. The short account is regional and does...
Kawaguma: The Unseen Hand of the Omono River
An Akita river tale tells of a black hand that steals a lord’s matchlock from the Omono River. What Kawaguma looked like—and whether the story connects to kappa lore—remains uncertain.
Kawaguma: The Unseen Hand of the Omono River
An Akita river tale tells of a black hand that steals a lord’s matchlock from the Omono River. What Kawaguma looked like—and whether the story connects to kappa lore—remains uncertain.
