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

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)

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

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

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

Ameonna is a Japanese yōkai known as the rain woman, depicted as a mysterious woman who summons rain. She is traditionally illustrated standing in the rain, licking her hand. In modern Japan, the term has also come to describe people who seem cursed to attract rain.

Ameonna

Amikiri is a Japanese yōkai featured in Toriyama Sekien's Gazu Hyakki Yagyō. Renowned for its net-cutting ability, the creature embodies the enigmatic charm of traditional Japanese folklore. Its ambiguous form and mysterious presence continue to intrigue and inspire interpretations in modern culture.

Amikiri

Aoandon is a ghostly spirit from Japanese folklore, depicted as a blue-complexioned woman with twin horns and sharp teeth. It is associated with Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, where blue andon lamps create an eerie atmosphere. Her presence highlights the blend of beauty and terror in traditional Japanese ghost stories.

Aoandon

Aonyōbō is a mysterious yōkai from Japanese mythology known for her blue, ethereal appearance. She embodies the enigmatic nature of traditional Japanese ghost stories. Often depicted as a ghostly lady, she straddles the boundary between the human and supernatural realms.

Aonyōbō

Aosaginohi, also known as Aosagibi, is a mystical phenomenon in Japanese folklore depicting a luminous, transformed black-crowned night heron. Its feathers fuse into shining scales that emit an iridescent blue light while its breath releases a unique golden powder to form heat-less fiery illuminations. Harmless and elusive, this yōkai exemplifies the mysterious interplay between nature and the supernatural in Edo period Japan.

Aosaginohi

Ashinagatenaga, also known as Ashinaga-tenaga, is a paired yokai from Japanese folklore noted for their abnormal physical proportions. One member of the pair exhibits extremely long legs while the other features exceptionally long arms. Documented in sources such as the Wakan Sansai Zue and associated with Kyūshū, they embody the enigmatic and mysterious nature of traditional Japanese spirits.

Ashinagatenaga

Ayakashi are ghostly yōkai of Japanese folklore known for their eerie, atmospheric appearances above coastal waters. They manifest as luminous ghost lights, often interpreted as vengeful spirits of those lost at sea. Their presence is both mesmerizing and foreboding, serving as an ominous warning to those who encounter them.

Yōkai Creatures