Abe no Seimei was a famed Japanese onmyōji who served as a spiritual advisor during the Heian period. His mastery of onmyōdō, divination, and spell casting earned him a legendary status in folklore. Today, his legacy endures in shrines and cultural landmarks across Japan.

Abe no Seimei

Abumi-guchi is a peculiar Japanese yōkai known for its stirrup-shaped mouth and furry appearance. Illustrated in Sekien Toriyama's Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro, it embodies the enigmatic charm of Edo period monster lore. Little else is documented about its behaviour or capabilities, adding to its mysterious allure.

Abumi-guchi

Abura-akago is a Japanese yōkai that manifests as both a flame and an infant ghost. It is famed for its behaviour of licking oil from lanterns, earning it the name 'oil baby.' Emerging from Edo period folklore, it serves as a mysterious and cautionary spirit in Japanese culture.

Abura-akago

Abura-sumashi, also known as 'Oil Presser', is a rare yokai from the folklore of Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture. It is said to inhabit the remote mountain passes of Kumamoto. Its elusive nature and mysterious association with oil contribute to an enduring local mystique.

Abura-sumashi

Akabeko is a legendary red cow from Japan's Aizu region, celebrated for its cultural significance and protective symbolism. Legend holds that it was present at the construction of the Enzō-ji temple in the 9th century and later became immortalized by being turned to stone. Its iconic image has inspired traditional toys believed to ward off illnesses, making it a cherished emblem of the Tōhoku region.

Akabeko

Aka Manto is a Japanese urban legend about a ghostly figure who appears in public bathrooms wearing a red cloak. He confronts individuals with a deadly ultimatum that forces them to choose between fatal options. His appearance is a chilling reminder of the eerie and unpredictable nature of urban folklore.

Aka Manto

The Akaname is a Japanese yōkai known for licking the filth that accumulates in bathtubs and bathrooms. Depicted in 18th-century art, its grotesque form and long tongue have made it a memorable figure in folklore. It stands as a peculiar symbol of the intersection between the mundane and the supernatural in Japanese cultural tradition.

Akaname

Akashita is a Japanese yōkai from the Edo period, depicted as a beast with clawed hands, a very hairy face, and a strikingly large red tongue. Its full body appearance remains mysterious, adding to its eerie allure. Also known as Akaguchi, it stands out in traditional yōkai emaki art for its distinctive red tongue and enigmatic portrayal.

Akashita

Akateko is a traditional Japanese yōkai renowned in the folklore of Aomori, Kagawa, and Fukushima Prefectures. It is commonly depicted as a mysterious apparition featuring a red child's hand. This eerie creature embodies the enigmatic and supernatural qualities of local Japanese legends.

Akateko (folklore)

Akkorokamui is a gigantic octopus-like sea monster from Ainu folklore. It is said to reach lengths of up to 120 metres and lurk in the deep waters of Uchiura Bay in Hokkaido. Its name, meaning 'tentacle-holding kamuy', underscores its formidable and mysterious nature.

Akkorokamui

Akubōzu is a mysterious yōkai from Japan, primarily known in Akita and Iwate Prefectures. It inhabits the ash of traditional household hearths and emerges playfully when the ash is disturbed. This elusive spirit embodies the enchanting interplay between everyday domestic life and the supernatural.

Akubōzu

Akugyo is an evil sea monster and aquatic yōkai from Japanese mythology. It is also known as daigyo or raichōgyo, reflecting its giant size and thunderous attributes. Renowned for its menacing presence in the deep waters, Akugyo embodies the malign forces of the ocean.

Akugyo

Akurojin-no-hi is a ghostly flame from the folklore of Mie Prefecture, Japan. It appears on rainy nights along desolate roads. Encountering it without fleeing results in grave illness, marking it as a harbinger of misfortune.

Akurojin-no-hi

Amabie is a legendary Japanese mermaid-like creature with a distinctive bird beak-like mouth and three legs or tail-fins. It emerges from the sea to prophesy either an abundant harvest or an impending epidemic. Its image has been reproduced on woodblock prints and pamphlets as a talisman to ward off illness.

Amabie

Amanojaku is a demon-like creature from Japanese folklore known for its contrarian and mischievous nature. It is a small, shape-shifting yōkai that provokes individuals to act against their true intentions. This supernatural being embodies malevolence and serves as a cautionary symbol of the darker aspects of human nature.

Amanojaku

Amanozako is a monstrous Japanese goddess born from Susanoo's ferocious spirit, also known as Tengu Kami. She embodies wild, untamed divine energy and possesses attributes such as flight, immortality, super strength, and shape-shifting. Residing in heaven among the 8 million gods, her nature is both divine and chaotic.

Amanozako

Amaterasu is the revered Japanese sun goddess and a central figure in Shinto mythology. She rules over Takamagahara, the heavenly realm, and is the divine ancestress of the Imperial House of Japan. Her radiant presence embodies purity, order, and the life-giving power of the sun.

Amaterasu

Amazake-babaa is an old woman yōkai from the folklore of northern Japan, known for her nocturnal visits asking for amazake. Her curse inflicts diseases such as smallpox and the common cold on those who answer. In some regions, she is deified as a protector of children against illnesses.

Amazake-babaa

Amefurikozō is a diminutive Japanese yōkai associated with rain. It is famously depicted in Sekien Toriyama’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki and other Edo period publications. This elusive spirit encapsulates the mysterious and playful nature of rainy weather in Japanese folklore.

Amefurikozō

The Amemasu is a legendary giant aquatic creature from Ainu folklore, resembling a whale or fish. Inhabiting freshwater lakes in northern Japan, it is notorious for capsizing boats and triggering earthquakes. This formidable being embodies the raw, unpredictable power of nature.

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