THE 19 MOST DANGEROUS JAPANESE DEMONS AND THEIR MEANING - HISTORY - 2024

The Japanese demons (oni) and other phantasmagorical and monstrous creatures are common in Japanese popular culture. Since time immemorial, there has been talk of the presence of these monstrous creatures in the Japanese country.

Even the oldest historical source in Japan, Kojiki or Furukotofumi: Chronicles of Ancient Events from Japan, recounts events relating to the existence of youkai (ghosts) and oni.

It is interesting to note that oni, unlike youkai, mostly had a human-like appearance. Although they can also have the appearance of zoomorphic or inanimate objects.

One of the most important sources on Japanese folklore is Gazu Hyakki Yakō or "The illustrated parade of the night of hundreds of demons", a book by Toriyama Sekien published in 1781. This cartoonist is one of the most important representatives of Japanese prints, genre of painting indigenous to Japan. Sekien specialized in drawing folk motifs.

List of 19 Japanese demons

1- Amanojaku

Jippensha Ikku (十 返 舎 一九, Japanese, * 1765, † 1831)

This demon is able to see a person's darkest wishes and provoke him to use those wishes against him.

The Amanojaku or Amanjaku is considered a small demon and is usually represented as a rock. He likes to instigate people to carry out their darkest and forbidden desires.

It is known for the folk legend of Urikohime or the Princess of the Melon. This legend tells that a little princess was born from a melon and was raised by an elderly couple who protected her from the outside world. One day the princess is tricked by the Amanojaku and he eats her in front of the old couple.

2- Joro-Gumo

Source: Jorōgumo (絡 新婦) by Toriyama Sekien.Kotengu ~ commonswiki

Why do men disappear? The legend of Joro-Gumo tells that there is a giant spider capable of transforming itself into a beautiful woman and seducing any man.

This monster is dedicated to attracting men who have been lost in the forests or who wander incautiously through different cities without settling in any. According to legend, when men fall in love with the beautiful woman, she changes her shape and catches them and then eats them.

3- Namahage

Source: Mr. ち ゅ ら さ ​​ん Photograph taken by MASA at the Osaka Shinsaibashi Aomori-Iwate-Akita Works Hall

Is there a wayward child around? It is one of the questions asked by the demon Namahage, a traditional folklore character from the Oga Peninsula.

This character is considered to visit families' homes on New Year's Eve and punish children who misbehave or cry. This demon has become one of the main characters of Japanese festivals, as it teaches children to behave well.

It is considered that the devil can teach a lesson to children who do wrong, so during this celebration parents remind their children to maintain good behavior.

4- Dodomeki

Source: Toriyama Sekien (鳥 山石 燕, Japanese, * 1712, † 1788)

According to folklorists and culturologists, the legend of the demon Dodomeki reflects the belief of the Japanese, that people with long hands tend to steal. This demon is considered to have long arms and hands filled with eyes.

The eyes are also a reflection of ancient coins that were used in Japan and were called "bird eyes" or chōmoku. According to popular tradition, this demon shot fire and spat out poisonous gas.

5- Kodama

Source: Toriyama Sekien

The sound of the forest is a cry of a kodama. These are spirits that inhabit trees, although trees are also called Kodama. According to Japanese legends, these plants can curse the lumberjack who dares to cut them down, that is why many Japanese pray to the trees for permission and forgiveness before cutting them down.

The echo in the mountains is usually attributed to these demons. Other legends say that people listen to the Kodama when they die and that you can talk to these trees deep in the forest.

6- Uwan

Source: Sawaki Sūshi (佐 脇 嵩 之, Japanase, * 1707, † 1772)

Does any noise scare you in an old Japanese house? If so, then a uwan ​​is trying to talk to you. The Uwan are considered disembodied and live in old or abandoned homes.

His scream can pierce the ears of whoever hears it. They do not exist physically and are only sounds that do not represent a great physical danger. On the other hand, there are various descriptions of these creatures. According to the legends of the Edo period, they do have a body that gathers various objects and fragments of the homes where they live.

7-

Source: Chihara Kyosai (茅 原 虚 斎, Japanese, * 1774, † 1840)

Also called chariot of fire, it is a demon or creature that steals the bodies of people who have died and who would have done evil and committed many sins during their life. Kasha collects evil energy from cemeteries and funerals to make herself stronger.

The Japanese have developed a methodology to protect the bodies of the Kasha. According to some legends, the Kasha are cat demons like Nekomata or Bakeneko, who kidnap the souls of sinners and lead them to hell.

8- Demon women (kijo and onibaba)

Source: scanned from ISBN 978-4-336-04547-8.

Vengeful women turn into demons. According to Japanese folk tradition, women who have been betrayed by their husbands, or girls and grandmothers who have been abused or mistreated, can turn into demons or monsters. The young women are called kijo and the grandmothers are called onibaba .

One of the most famous legends of young demons is the story of Kiyohime. According to Japanese folklore, Kiyohime was the daughter of the head of a town called Shōji. Her family received travelers who passed through the town.

Kiyohime fell in love with a monk who once visited her village. The monk Anchin also fell in love with her but he limited himself to admiring her beauty without following his passions. This upset Kiyohime, who decided to follow the monk.

The monk escaped through the Hidaka River and asked the sailors not to help the girl cross the river, so Kiyohime jumped in and decided to swim to the other side. When he swam, his fury made him turn into a snake.

The monk, seeing this, took refuge in a temple asking the priest of the temple to hide it in a bell. Kiyohime followed him and found the bell. Spitting fire from his mouth, he melted the bell and apparently killed the monk. Kiyohime is considered to be a snake woman who kidnaps men in villages.

9- Onibi

Source: scanned from ISBN 978-4-336-04547-8.

Have you seen a floating blue fireball? It could be an Onibi. Onibi are floating fireballs that are formed from the spirits of humans and vengeful animals, who have remained in the world of the living.

In the Edo period, flying torches were considered to have the ability to steal the souls of people who approached them. According to some legends, these torches accompany other more powerful demons.

10- Tengu

Source: Katsushika Hokusai

Are they birds or dogs? Although the word Tengu translates to "heavenly dog," these creatures are considered to be birds. Some consider them youkai and other gods.

In folk sources the Tengu are described as winged humanoids, who can also completely transform into birds. In many stories, the Tengu are crows.

Japanese Buddhist tradition considers them demons of war who announce bad news. The Tengu live in mountains that they protect with their powers.

11- Nopperabo

Source: Koikawa Harumachi (恋 川 春 町, Japanese, * 1744, † 1789)

Why don't the Japanese wander dark streets at night? It is due to the presence of Nopperabo, a faceless ghost who walks down dark streets looking down.

If someone greets him, this monster turns around and attacks the one who greets or scares him. That is why the Japanese are afraid to greet strangers in dark streets.

12- Enenra

Source: Toriyama Sekien (鳥 山石 燕, Japanese, * 1712, † 1788)

Only people with a pure heart can see enenra. These fire pyres are considered to be youkai, who can take on human form. The first time this monster was described in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi in 1781, the legend of an enenra was told, emerging every night from the fire of the pyre and walking through a village.

13-Tsuchigmo

Source: Brigham Young University

Why don't Japanese hunters go into the forest at night? The Tsuchigumo are strange creatures with the bodies of a tiger, the legs of a spider and the face of a demon.

These monsters are relentless and eat unsuspecting explorers, who walk around at night. Usually fear paralyzes the victim due to how grotesque these creatures are.

14- Ningyo

Source: Toriyama Sekien (鳥 山石 燕, Japanese, * 1712, † 1788)

Are there mermaids in Japanese mythology? Ningyo or human-shaped fish are beings, like mermaids in European popular tradition, which in Japan are considered a symbol of calamity.

According to some legends, Japanese mermaids have monkey mouths and fish teeth, their skin glows, since their scales are golden. His voice is soft like the sound of a flute.

They are also considered to be long-lived and if someone tastes their meat they can also live for many years. They can hide their true form by becoming ordinary fish.

Happyaku Bikuni legend has it that a fisherman invited his friends to dinner the fish he had caught. One of those he caught could speak and asked him not to eat it.

The man understood that this fish was not normal and left it in the kitchen, while in the living room he had dinner with his friends. But his daughter who did not know anything about this fish, killed it and cooked it. His father, realizing it, tried to stop him, but it was too late.

At the end of the party, the father explained to his daughter what had happened, but apparently nothing was wrong with her. Time passed and they both forgot this event. After the death of the father, when the girl was married and already a young woman, she realized that she did not age.

Her husband grew older every year, while she stayed the same. Her husband died and the woman emigrated to another city and married again. Thus 800 years passed, and the woman was married multiple times without aging.

In the end, she became a nun and traveled many places. But the loneliness was too much, so she returned to her hometown and took her own life.

15- Kamaitachi

Source: 竜 斎 閑人 正 澄 (Japanese)

Who attacks the peasants and steals their crops? Kamaitachi are weasel-like monsters that usually attack in groups of three.

They usually inflict deep wounds on the legs of farmers with sickles tied to their legs. Kamaitachi wounds are painless. These beings attack so quickly that they are imperceptible to the human eye.

16- Gashadokuro

Source: Petrusbarbygere 歌 川 国 芳 (Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1798 - 1861) 相 馬 の 古 内 裏 妖怪 が し ゃ ど く ろ と 戦 う 大宅 太郎 光 圀

Drought and famine kill peasants and create monsters like Gashadokuro. This demon is a giant skeleton that is formed from the bones of all the people who died during droughts and famines.

This monster attacks the living, as it wishes to quench the famine of those who died during the time of crisis. This monster is full of negative energy from all the victims.

17- Hyousube

Source: Brigham Young University

Who eats the harvest of the Japanese peasants? Hyosube is a dwarf-looking demon who eats eggplants and lives in peasant gardens. He is mischievous and reckless, as any human who looks into his eyes will die slowly and painfully. These beings brazenly stroll at night.

18- The Yamamba

Source: Brigham Young University

It is considered a demon by some and a deity by others. It is a creature with the appearance of an old woman that sometimes helps those who are lost in the woods to find their way home, but other times it eats the humans it finds.

It is a feminine spirit of the mountains and takes very varied forms in legends of different regions of Japan.

19- Rokurokubi

Source: Katsushika Hokusai

Who stole the oil from the lamps? The Rokurokubi is a woman who is extremely beautiful during the day and at night stretches her neck to drink the oil from the lamps of light.

It is considered to be non-aggressive and lives among humans. Its great beauty allows it to attract men. According to some legends, it uses their vital energy to feed itself.

In conclusion, it can be said that Japanese mythology and folklore are very rich. Despite the influence of Chinese mythology, Japanese mythology is indigenous and has been enriched by Buddhism and Shinto traditions.