List of legendary creatures from Japan
The following is a list of demons, ghosts, yōkai, obake, yūrei and other legendary creatures, which are notable in Japanese folklore and mythology.
A
B
- Bakeneko - A shape-shifting cat.
- Bakezōri - A zori straw sandal spirit.
- Baku - An auspicious beast who can devour nightmares.
- Basan - A large fire-breathing chicken monster.
- Binbōgami - The spirit of poverty.
- Boroboro-ton - A possessed comforter.
C
D
- Daidarabotchi - An angry giant responsible for creating many horrible yet cute geographical features in Japan.
- Daitengu - The most powerful Tengu, each of whom lives on a separate mountain.
- Datsue-ba - An old woman seated in the underworld who steals clothes from the souls of the dead.
E
- Enenra - A monster made of smoke.
F
G
H
I
- Ichiren-bozu - Animated prayer beads.
- Ikiryō - Essentially a living ghost, as it is a living person's soul outside of their body.
- Inugami - A dog-spirit created, worshipped, and employed by a family via sorcery.
- Ippon-datara - A one-eyed, one-legged monster said to be an expert blacksmith.
- Isonade - A fish-like sea monster with a barb-covered tail.
- Ittan-momen - A possessed roll of cotton that attempts to smother people by wrapping itself around their faces.
J
K
L
M
- Miage-nyūdō - A spirit that grows as fast as you can look up at it.
- Mizuchi - A dangerous water dragon.
- Mokumokuren - A swarm of eyes that appear on a paper sliding door in an old building.
- Morinji-no-kama - Another name for Bunbuku Chagama, the tanuki teakettle.
- Mujina - A shapeshifting badger.
- Myōbu - A title sometimes given to a fox.
- Mu-onna - The nothing woman.
N
O
- Oiwa - The ghost of a woman with a distorted face who was murdered by her husband.
- Okiku - The plate-counting ghost of a servant girl.
- Ōkubi - The face of a huge woman which appears in the sky.
- Oni - The classic Japanese demon. It is an ogre-like creature which often has horns.
- Onibaba - The demon hag.
- Onibi - A spirit fire.
- Onryō - A vengeful ghost.
- O-Nyudo - A large monk with the power to change size and shape shift
- Otoroshi - A hairy creature that perches on the gates to shrines and temples.
R
- Raijin - The God of Thunder.
- Raijū - A beast that falls to earth in a lightning bolt.
- Rokurokubi - A person, usually female, whose neck can stretch indefinitely.
- Ryū - The Japanese dragon.
S
T
U
- Ubume - The spirit of a woman who died in childbirth.
- Umibōzu - A giant monster appearing on the surface of the sea.
- Ungaikyo - A possessed mirror.
- Ushi-oni - A name given to an assortment of ox-headed monsters.
- Uwan - A spirit named for the sound it shouts when surprising people.
V
W
X
Y
Z
See also
External links