Yōkai

The study of Yōkai (妖怪) in Japanese folklore is a topic of much academic research. There are universities with small departments devoted to spirits, demons, exorcism, etc (seperate from "Religious Studies"). For example, Kazuhiko Komatsu is a professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto, and headed the team that studied "The Historical Formation and Evolution of Horror Culture in Japan",  one of the Center's research topics in 1998. A specialist in cultural anthropology and folklore, he analyzes demons, apparitions, and preternatural beings from a new perspective based on fieldwork. His major publications include "Shuten Dōji no Kubi" [The Head of the Ogre Shuten Dōji]

The common translation for Yōkai, namely demon, does little to convey the complex nature of Supernatural beings in both Feudal and Modern Japan.

Various translations include, "bewitching apparitions", "Apparitions", "Spirits", "Demons" or "supernatural being which is not a Kami nor a ghost".

In addition to full Yōkai, some modern stories tell of yōkai breeding with human beings to produce Hanyō, or half-breeds. A classic example of such a union is the Historical figure Abe No Seimei of the Heian era. It was claimed that this famous magician/astronomer/sage/alchemist was born of a human father and a Kitsune mother named Kuzunoha. Clearly talented, at an early age he was able to command weak oni. Seimei was sent by his mother to Kamo no Tadayuki (a master of onmyodo) so that he would learn to live as a human and not become evil.

The term Yōkai covers a wide rage of creatures, and has no true cognate in English. An English cognate would need be a word that would cover elves, dwarves, succubi, nmyphes, etc. As no such word exists, "demon" is commoly used, as it conveys both the supernatural element and ability to possess that Yōkai seem to commonly have. There are many types of Yōkai:


 * Yūrei (幽霊, literally translated as Faint Soul) are the most similar to the Western concept of ghost - spirits of the deceased, wearing white kimono, their visible bodies ending at the waist. They are drawn back to haunt the living from unrequited love, or sometimes, hunger for revenge.


 * Yōkai (妖怪, literally translated as Strange Peculiarity, idiomatically Apparition) are living, but non-human, creatures. This term includes creatures such as Tengu, the phallic-nosed goblins who grace hundreds of izakaya menus, the Kappa, reptilian beasts living in isolated lakes, the cannibalistic Oni-Baba, and the Yuki Onna, with her kiss of frozen death.


 * Oni (鬼, literally translated as Demon) are taken directly from Buddhist theology. They are the fearsome fanged and horned demons whose images are found carved near temple entrances. They have specific duties, such as rescuing the innocent, scaring the wicked to death, and guarding the gates of Hell itself.


 * Fushigi na Dōbutsu (不思議な動物, literally translated as Animals of Wonder) are mischievous animal spirits, of which the most notorious are the foxes. Foxes are regarded with distrust and suspicion; they are believed to be able to transform themselves into human shape and possess the unwary. Shrines to appease the fox god Inari can be found all over Japan.


 * Sōrei (騒霊, literally translated as Wild Ghost) are similar to the creatures called poltergeists in English. These creatures, however, owe their history to the Shinto belief in every physical object - stones, trees, machines - having life and consciousness. This has led to countless stories of screaming stones, shoji doors with staring eyes, and domestic tools that move and persecute their owners.
 * If you suspect that your 2DK (ed note: refers to a 2 bedroom apartment) may shelter a fox ghost under the futon, don't panic! A large number of exorcists, both Shinto and Buddhist, work in Japan. A Buddhist exorcism is performed by a temple's chief priest and his assistant, reading an appropriate sutra (the scriptures of Buddhism) and burning a special incense. The priest also carries a shakujō (錫杖, literally translated as Tin Stick) - a wooden staff with metal rings threaded onto it, creating an unearthly sound to scare evil spirits away.
 * The Shinto exorcist works more at prevention than cure. This is why buildings of public use - factories, government buildings, restaurants, pachinko parlors - have a Shinto priest perform a special rite of purification on the land before construction. It's not only on Japanese soil that these ceremonies take place; Toyota flew a priest as far away as Newcastle, England, to bless a new car factory.

Dragon Types
The Japanese Dragons, or Tatsu, are regarded as Imperial and spiritual powers, and they tend to live in lakes and springs. Japanese Dragons have three claws (Chinese dragons have four) do not necessarily have wings and are said to be more or less benevolent, on occasion were known to grant wishes (altho there are a number of exceptions)


 * Fukuryū (伏龍, literally translated as Crouching Dragon) - said to be the dragon of "good fortune"


 * Hairyū - The only Japanese dragon with wings, this dragon is sometimes called a "Dragon-Bird".


 * Hanryū - a multi-striped Japanese Dragon, said to be slightly over 40 feet long.


 * Karyū (火龍, literally translated as Fire Dragon) - measures about 7 feet in length


 * Riryū - a dragon known for exceptional eye sight.


 * Seiryū (青竜, literally translated as Blue/Green Dragon or Holy Dragon) - Seiryū is the God of the East, presiding over the spring season, thought to be the incarnation of Water. It is usually potrayed as a fearsome and powerful Dragon but also considered just and benevolent; the embodiment of the concept of Yang.


 * Suiryū (水龍, literally translated as Water Dragon)- the Japanese Dragon King; also known as the rain dragon.

Ghost Types

 * Noppera-bō (のっぺら坊): A faceless ghost, known primarily for frightening humans, but are usually otherwise harmless. They appear at first as ordinary human beings, sometimes impersonating someone familiar to the victim, before causing their features to disappear, leaving a blank, smooth sheet of skin where their face should be.


 * Ubume (産女): Spirits of women who have either died in childbirth, or died without making sure that their children have been provided for. Ubume address a common concern in Japan; that of a mother's duty toward her children. Appearing in the form common to most Japanese ghosts, they wear robes of white, and have long dishevelled hair.

Spirit and Demon Types

 * Oni (鬼, literally translated as Demon): Hideous giants with sharp claws, long horns and wild untamed hair. Generally humanoid but occasionally they are shown with odd numbers of eyes or extra fingers and toes. Their skin color is usually red, blue, black, pink, or green . Oni typically wear tiger skins and carry fearsome iron clubs called kanabō (金棒). In the earliest legends, oni were benevolent creatures who fought off evil and malevolent spirits.


 * Later, they became associated with the spirits of the dead, of the earth, of the ancestors, of the vengeful, of pestilence, or of anger and malevolence.
 * Two Oni are said to guard the gates of the underworld.


 * Kappa (河童, literally translated as River Child): A water-based demon with webbed hands and feet, a turtle shell, and a circular dish on top of its head. It can exist out of water only as long as the dish contains water. About the size of a small child, the Kappa is very strong. It attacks horses, cattle, and humans, dragging its prey into the water, feeds on their blood, or drains their life force, (etc) leaving nothing behind except a hollow gourd. It is said to sometimes drag unwary travelers into the water and drown them.In many localities, drowning is still referred to as GAPPADOKO. When benevolent, the Kappa is supposedly a skilled teacher in the art of bone setting and other medical skills. The Kappa is always portrayed as trustworthy despite its many evil ways. When captured and forced to promise never again to harm anyone, the kappa always keeps its promise.


 * Kitsune (狐, literally translated as Fox): A fox apparition, and one of the HENGE (Shape-Shifters). The Kitsune most often appears as a woman to human men or as a man to human women. Often wishes to merely play pranks, but sometimes desires to mate with humans. They are generally considered harmless. The Japanese people believed that the kitsune was the messenger of the Rice goddess Inari.


 * Shikigami (式神, literally translated as Formula God): Spirits that are summoned to serve or protect an Onmyoji, much like the European wizard's familiar. Shinto priests and some miko also are capable of summoning shikigami. Shikigami can appear as birds, small animals, or humans. The range of abilities possessed by a shikigami is dependant on the Onmyoji's capabilities.


 * Tanuki (狸, literally translated as Raccoon-Dog): A raccoon-dog apparition and one of the HENGE (Shape Shifters). The Tanuki is fond of drink and food to excess, often trick humans by purchasing sake with leaves disguised as money. Tanuki are generally harmless tricksters - but their tricks seem to escalate if the one being tricked merits it. There is a legend about tanuki in Japan, concerning the origins of Inu-yama (Inu mountain) in Gifu prefecture, which was the home of Oda Nobunaga in 1575.


 * Tengu (天狗, literally translated as Heavenly Dog): One of the HENGE (Shape Shifters). a long-nosed mountain and forest spirit with a beak and wings; part bird, part man, some were said to mimick mountain priests (yamabushi)- these were portrayed as being more mischievous than evil and were often depicted helping people. Others were said to always be trying to snag an unwary traveler or plump monk to eat. Their main abilites are the ability to speak to humans without moving their mouth, the magic of moving instantly from place to place without using their wings, and the sorcery to appear uninvited in the dreams of the living.


 * Ushi-Oni (牛鬼, literally translated as Bull Demon): This creature is said to have the head of a horned bovine, but the description of its body is inconsistent.


 * Yuki-onna (雪女, literally translated as Snow Woman): Yuki-onna is winter personified; beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in killing unsuspecting mortals. In many stories, Yuki-onna reveals herself to travelers who find themselves trapped in snowstorms and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends say that she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. Other times, she manifests holding a child. When a person takes the "child" from her, he or she is frozen in place. Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic.


 * Inugami (犬神, literally meaning Dog God): A demonic race of creatures that resemble dogs with ability to shapeshift from dog to human form.